Mama Chioma enter labour for night. Di nearest hospital far. By di time dem find bike carry am reach, she don lose too much blood. Di pikin survive. Mama no survive.
Dis no be film story. E dey happen every day for Naija.
UN figures show say for 2023, Nigeria alone carry 29% of all di maternal deaths wey happen for di whole world. Wetin dat one mean? Almost 200 mothers dey die for dis country every single day. That one na roughly one woman every seven minutes. Before you finish your tea dis morning, another mama don go.
Wetin dey kill our women?
Di main ones na heavy bleeding after born, labour wey hook and no gree come out, high blood pressure, and unsafe abortion. Di painful part be say doctors sabi how to stop most of dis tins. E no be mystery sickness.
Di world dey move, we dey crawl
Since 2000, maternal deaths for di world don drop by 40%. Nigeria own drop only 13%. Other countries dey run, we still dey find our slippers.
Small light for di tunnel
Government start di Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), wey target 172 local governments for 33 states. Na dis LGAs dey carry more than half of all di deaths. Federal health officials talk say maternal deaths for dis LGAs don reduce by 17%. E no reach, but e show say if we focus, tins fit change.
Wetin you fit do today
- Make every pregnant woman register for antenatal early, no wait till belle don big
- Plan transport and money for delivery before di day reach
- Born for hospital or wit trained hand, no be for house wit nobody wey sabi
- If she dey bleed plenty, get serious headache, swell up, see blurry, or get fever, carry am go hospital sharp sharp
Every mama wey die na one family wey scatter. We fit do better. We must do better.
The Health Factor Africa
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