Minister: Nigeria Accounts for 14% of Maternal Deaths Globally
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, at an event on Thursday, stated that about 14% of global maternal deaths worldwide are recorded in Nigeria.
Dr. Salako, speaking in his inaugural address during the second day of the 2025 Joint Annual Review Meeting in Abuja, themed “All Hands, One Mission: Bringing Nigeria’s Health Sector to Light,” said Nigeria has achieved a lot in the health sector but more needs to be done considering the growing population and available resources.
Using the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey preliminary results, he said “Maternal Mortality Ratio stands at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births (down from 576 in 2018); Under-five mortality rate stands at 110 deaths per 1,000 live births (a reduction from 132 in 2018); neonatal mortality is at 41 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“The Skilled Birth Attendance is up from 43 per cent in 2018 to 53 per cent; full immunisation coverage at 39 per cent is an improvement from 31 per cent in 2018; and Modern Contraceptive Prevalence is at 20 per cent among currently married women.”
However, the Minister said the above figures are welcome developments and indicate rapid improvement, but more still needs to be done to strengthen and improve the healthcare system in Nigeria.
He also lamented the high rate at which pregnant women die during childbirth. “Too many mothers still die in childbirth, too many children don’t reach their fifth birthday, and too many families are impoverished by healthcare costs.”
Dr. Salako added that the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Renewed Hope Agenda under President Tinubu’s administration are designed to strengthen and transform the healthcare system toward better serving Nigerians.
“The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fully aware of these challenges, is making concerted efforts in partnership with state and local governments, development partners, and civil society to accelerate progress and deliver a health system that will optimally serve all Nigerians,” he stated.
He urged all stakeholders to increase their efforts toward delivering a sustainable and reliable healthcare system across Nigeria, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to increasing financing, recruiting more health personnel, and providing seamless access to health insurance.
