Nigeria Country Director of United
Nations Population Fund, Ms. Ratidzai Ndhlovu, says no fewer than 100
women die daily across northern Nigeria during childbirth. She spoke on Thursday in Sokoto at a
consultative meeting with the theme, ‘Accelerating the Reduction of
Maternal Deaths in Northern Nigeria: The Role of the Traditional and
Religious Leaders’.
Ndhlovu decried the high maternal
mortality figure, stressing that collective efforts must be stepped up
to redress the ugly trend.
She added, “No pregnant woman should be
allowed to die while bringing a life into the world and they should be
adequately protected.
“Traditional rulers, community and
religious leaders should take census of all pregnant women in their
areas with a view to tracking the exact figure of maternal mortality.
“This would ginger all of us to step up
measures to reduce the menace and save more pregnant mothers and their
children from dying during childbirth.
“This would certainly help in reducing maternal mortality and even help to reduce it to a zero level across the North.”
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad
Abubakar III, canvassed for the building of capacities of more
traditional birth attendants in the region.
Abubakar said the action would complement the efforts of skilled midwives in health facilities.
He suggested that the traditional birth
attendants “should be recruited by the three tiers of government and
deployed in health facilities to boost manpower.”
The Executive Director, National Primary
Health Care Development Agency , Dr Ado Mohammed, reiterated the
commitment of the Federal Government to providing good health facilities
for women across the country.
The Sokoto State Health Commissioner,
Dr. Shehu Kakale, said government had set up a committee to see to the
reduction of maternal mortality in the state.
