Untold Tragedy: How Lack Of Proper Care And Skilled Attendants Are Costing Lives In Nigeria

Untold Tragedy: How Lack Of Proper Care And Skilled Attendants Are Costing Lives In Nigeria

Expectant mothers across Nigeria are facing life-threatening challenges due to under-resourced health centers and the lack of skilled birth attendants. Limited access to proper medical care in rural areas has left many women vulnerable to complications during….Untold Tragedy: How Lack Of Proper Care And Skilled Attendants Are Costing Lives In Nigeria

pregnancy and childbirth.

Salamatu Musa, a 22-year-old from Wurmawa in Jigawa State, tragically passed away in March 2024 after being diagnosed with maternal anaemia, a treatable condition. Despite attending regular antenatal care, the lack of immediate care at her local health center led to her death after receiving insufficient blood transfusions. Her newborn also died, leaving her family devastated.

Musa’s case is not an isolated one. In nearby Wurmawa, Magajiya Danjummai, 50, also succumbed to complications during childbirth. The inadequate healthcare facilities in her community failed to provide the emergency services needed, leading to her death and the loss of her baby.

Many women in these regions turn to better-equipped hospitals, such as the General Hospital in Jahun, which partners with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). These organizations play a crucial role in providing emergency obstetrics, newborn care, and surgical interventions for those who would otherwise face grave risks.

However, the struggles are not limited to rural areas in the north. In Ebonyi State, women like Modesta Uchenna are forced to deliver babies on rough paths to health centers that are miles away. The lack of nearby facilities, combined with transportation barriers, puts both mothers and children at risk.

Maternal mortality remains a severe public health issue in Nigeria, with states like Jigawa, Kaduna, and Yobe reporting alarmingly high death rates. Access to maternal healthcare is unequally distributed, with northern states particularly facing a shortage of properly equipped and staffed primary healthcare centers.

In addition to the infrastructural deficits, Nigeria’s maternal healthcare system suffers from a lack of skilled birth attendants, leading to a high number of home births without proper supervision. Experts, including Dr. Joseph Akinde, urge the government to focus on revitalizing primary healthcare centers, ensuring they are well-equipped and staffed to handle maternal care effectively.

While the government is working towards increasing the number of primary healthcare centers and improving healthcare access, substantial investments are needed in underserved regions. Only with targeted strategies, such as enhancing rural healthcare facilities and increasing skilled personnel, can Nigeria hope to reduce its maternal mortality rate.

This dire situation underscores the need for swift and coordinated action to improve maternal healthcare and ensure no woman is left behind in her journey to motherhood.

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