Nigeria is responsible for 29% of maternal deaths all over the world – every seven minutes, a mother dies. Among the reasons there are the lack of low quality doctors and structures
At 24, Nafisa Salahu was in danger of becoming another statistics in Nigeria, where a woman dies of childbirth every seven minutes.
He entered Travaglio during an doctors’ strike. With this, even being in the hospital, there were no experts available to help when a complication presented.
The head of the Salahu’s child was trapped and was simply oriented to stay still during labor, which lasted three days.
Finally, the recommendation was that it crossed a Caesarea section. And then a doctor prepared to perform the procedure.
“I thanked God because I was almost dying,” Salahu said to the BBC. “I had no strength, I had nothing else.”
He lives in the state of Kano, in northern Nigeria. The mother survived, but tragically her baby could not resist.
Eleven years have passed and has returned to the hospital to give birth several times. But your posture is fatalistic.
“I knew it [todas as vezes] It was between life and death, but he was no longer afraid, “he said.
Salahu’s experience is not an isolated fact. Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world to give birth.
The latest United Nations estimates (one), with 2023 data, indicate that one per 100 Nigerian women dies in work or in the following days. This index puts Nigeria on top of a ranking that no nation would like to drive.
In 2023, the country represented 29% of maternal deaths all over the world. And it is estimated that 75,000 women die of childbirth in Nigeria per year – the equivalent of a death every seven minutes.
For many, the frustration is that most of these deaths could be avoided, like those caused by postpartum bleeding.
Chinenye Nweze was 36 years old when he died to death five years ago in the city of Onitsha, in the south -eastern country.
“Doctors need blood,” remembers his brother Henry Edeh. “The blood they had was not enough and ran to look.”
“Losing my sister and friend is something that I don’t want for any enemy. The pain is unbearable.”
Other common causes of maternal deaths are the obstruction of childbirth, hypertension and unsafe abortions.
Nigeria’s “very high” maternal mortality rate is the result of a combination of several factors, according to Martin Dohlsten of the United Nations (UNICEF) children’s fund office in Nigeria.
For him, some of the reasons are the lack of health infrastructure, the scarcity of doctors, the high cost of the treatments (inaccessible to many people), the cultural practices that can make people trust medical professionals and insecurity in general.
“No woman deserves to die when it gives birth to a child,” says the national coordinator of the Foundation for the development of women of the purpose, Mabel Owuemena.
He explains that some Nigerian women, especially in the countryside, believe that “going to the hospital is a total waste of time”. They prefer “traditional remedies rather than looking for medical assistance, which can slow down the help necessary to save lives”.
For some people, reaching the hospital or clinic is almost impossible due to the lack of transport. But Owuemena believes that even if they could arrive, their problems would not be easily solved.
“Many medical assistance structures do not have basic equipment, supplies and trained staff, which makes it difficult to provide a quality service,” he said.
Currently, the government of Nigeria spends only 5% of its health budget. This index is much lower than the 15% commitment taken by the country, in a treaty of the African Union signed in 2001.
In 2021, there were 121,000 obstetricians for a population of 218 million inhabitants. And less than half of the births were supervised by a trained healthcare professional.
It is estimated that the country needs another 700,000 nurses and midwives to reach the rates recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is also a serious lack of doctors. And the scarcity of the staff and structures makes people are not looking for professional help.
“Honestly, I don’t trust the hospitals much,” recognizes Jamila Ishaq. “There are many stories of abandonment, especially in public hospitals.”
“When I had my fourth child, for example, there were complications during labor. The local midwife recommended to be in the hospital, but when we arrived there, there were no health professionals available to help me.”
“I had to go home, where I ended up giving light,” he recalls.
Ishaq is 28 years old. He lives in the state of Kano and now expects his fifth child.
He underlines that he would consider the idea of ​​going to a private clinic, but the cost is prohibitive.
Chinwendu objects awaits his third child. He can pay private medical care in the hospital and “he wouldn’t think of giving birth anywhere else.”
He says that, among his friends and family, the maternal deaths are now rare. But he had heard of cases often often.
Obterijesi lives in a rich suburb of the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
There, it is easier to reach hospitals. The roads are better and emergency services.
And there are also more women who have received training in the city and know the importance of going to the hospital.
“I always take care prenatal … it allows me to speak regularly with the doctors, take important tests and follow my health and that of the child,” says Objecti to the BBC.
“During my second pregnancy, for example, they expected that I bleed a lot. So they prepared more blood by transfusion. Fortunately, I didn’t need to go well.”
But a family friend was not so lucky.
During his second birth, “the midwife could not give birth to the child and tried to force birth. The child died”.
“When he was running to the hospital, it was too late. He still had to undergo surgery to remove the child’s body. He was desolate,” he complains.
The director of the health services of the Community of the National Health Care Development Agency of the Country (NPHCDA), Nana Sandah-ABUBAKAR, recognizes that the situation is serious. But he says that a new plan is put into practice to face some of these problems.
In November last year, the Nigerian government launched the pilot phase of the initiative to reduce maternal mortality (Mamii).
This program will involve 172 local governments in 33 states of Nigeria. They represent more than half of the deaths related to childbirth in the country.
“We have identified every pregnant woman, we know where they live and help them during pregnancy, childbirth and after the birth of the child,” says Sandh-Aibubakar.
To date, a door to Porta a Porta has recorded 400,000 pregnant women in six states, “in detail if they are assisting or not [aulas] prenatal”.
“The plan is to start indicating them to services that ensure that they receive assistance [necessária] And delivery safely. “
Mamii also intends to work with local transport networks to try to bring more women to the clinics, as well as encourage people to request low -cost public health insurance.
It is still too early to say whether these measures caused positive impacts. But the authorities expect the country to finish to follow the trends of the rest of the world.
The maternal deaths through the planet have decreased by 40% since 2000, thanks to the expansion of access to medical treatment. The numbers also improved in Nigeria in the same period, but only at 13%.
Mami and other programs are welcome initiatives, but some experts believe that you should do more, how to increase investments.
“Its success depends on permanent funding, an effective implementation and continuous monitoring, to ensure that the expected results are achieved”, according to Martin Dohlsten of UNICEF.
In the meantime, each of the 200 mothers lost every day in Nigeria will continue to represent a tragedy for the families involved.
Henry Edeh, for example, has not yet managed to overcome the mourning of his sister’s loss.
“He assumed the role of our anchoring and our spine, when we lose our parents as children,” he recalls.
“Now that I was alone, when I remember it, I cry bitterly.”
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
