Thepodiummedia

Ending Maternal Mortality: A Call to Action for Africa and Why Nigeria Must Lead!

image 16

Written by

thepodiummedia

in

,
Share this story

By Maureen Ideozu 

Alarmingly high numbers coming out of Africa, particularly Nigeria, heightens the issue of Maternal mortality as a pressing global concern. Among African nations, Nigeria tragically stands out as the country with the highest maternal mortality rates. This article aims to shed light on the urgency of the issue and inspire actions to address this heart-breaking phenomenon. Think about this, a woman dies every two minutes while giving birth. 

Just a few days ago, as world leaders gathered in New York at the UN General Assembly, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched its 2023 Goalkeepers Report, which focuses on accelerating progress towards attaining the SDGs, with a focus on Goals 1-6. This year, the Goalkeepers Report is focused on maternal mortality – SDG 3.1. it highlights this crisis, and asserts that eight years on the world is off track in fact, progress is stalled or regressing. According to the report, every death of a mother during childbirth reduces the chances of the baby surviving to their first birthday by 37%. This ugly situation occurs 800 times a day across the world. 

Advertisement

To order your copy, send a WhatsApp message to +1 317 665 2180

Understanding the Crisis:

Maternal mortality refers to the death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of delivery. It is a multi-faceted problem influenced by various factors such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure, poverty, limited access to quality prenatal and postnatal care, lack of professionalism, ill-equipped personnel, cultural barriers, and gender inequalities. 

The Situation in Nigeria:

In Nigeria, the statistics are startling. According to recent reports, Nigeria accounts for nearly 20% of global maternal deaths, with over 59,000 women dying each year due to childbirth complications. Nigeria and India contribute 34% to the global maternal mortality rates. In 2008, Nigeria’s rate was 14%, latest reports put the rate at 20%. The current global maternal mortality average is 211 per 100000, Nigeria’s average is 800 per 100000 (four times the global average), while SDG target by 2030 is 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Nigeria’s situation is disastrous, states in the North East and North West of the country have between 1270 – 1600 per 100000. A number of reasons such as insecurity, lack of education, socio-cultural barriers among others are responsible for these high numbers. Every day, Nigerian women in hundreds lose their lives, from preventable causes while bringing forth new life. These numbers are not just statistics; they represent the mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends within our communities.  

Advertisements

The Call to Action:

The time for action is now. We must join hands to address the root causes of maternal mortality and work towards creating a safer and healthier environment for mothers across Africa and Nigeria must take the lead. Here are some key steps that can help make a difference: 

  1. Strengthen Healthcare Infrastructure: Adequate healthcare facilities, including well-equipped clinics and skilled medical professionals, are crucial in preventing maternal deaths. Governments and stakeholders must invest in improving healthcare infrastructure to ensure accessible and quality maternal healthcare services. 
  • Promote Education and Empowerment: Educational programs that focus on women’s health, family planning, and reproductive rights play a pivotal role in reducing maternal mortality. By empowering women with knowledge and resources, we can enable them to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and seek timely medical care. 
  • Enhance Prenatal and Postnatal Care: Early and comprehensive prenatal care is vital in identifying and managing potential complications during pregnancy. It is equally important to provide adequate postnatal care to mothers, ensuring their well-being and early detection of any postpartum complications. 
  • Eradicate Stigma and Cultural Barriers: Deep-rooted cultural norms and stigmas surrounding childbirth often hinder access to healthcare services. We must challenge and dismantle these barriers, promoting a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages women to seek timely and appropriate care without fear of judgment or discrimination. 

Conclusion:

We cannot stand idly by while countless mothers lose their lives due to preventable causes. Christy Turlington former model and Founder of Every Mother Counts, has been rallying efforts in this direction for a while, as she puts it “I know that I cannot solve all the maternal health challenges in the world by myself. I need and want others to join me”. Let us rally together, raise awareness, and demand change. Governments, international organizations, healthcare providers, communities, and individuals all have a role to play in ending maternal mortality in Africa, with Nigeria leading the way. By prioritizing maternal healthcare, investing in resources and education, and breaking down barriers, we can create a future where every mother has the chance to see her child grow and thrive. It is time to take action and ensure that motherhood is a joyful and safe experience for all. 

Maureen Ideozu is the Founder/Executive Director of Seconds for Good (S4G). She birthed S4G as a way to give back, having survived two of the top causes of maternal mortality. S4G is a non-profit organisation that seeks to support efforts to significantly reduce incidents of maternal mortality in Nigeria by soliciting broad-based support to implement measurable and sustainable initiatives in Nigerian communities.  

(Note: This op-ed is a call to action and does not represent specific real-time information. For the latest statistics and updates on maternal mortality in Africa and Nigeria, please refer to reliable sources and reports from reputable organizations.) 

Advertisements

For enquiries: 

info@seconds4good.org 

Advertisements

www.seconds4good.org 

image 16

Do you have an important success story, news, or opinion article to share with with us? Get in touch with us at publisher@thepodiummedia.com or ademolaakinbola@gmail.com Whatsapp +1 317 665 2180

Join our WhatsApp Group to receive news and other valuable information alerts on WhatsApp.

Click here to join


Share this story
Advertisements
jsay-school

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More posts

sanya-onayoade

Sanya Onayoade

Continental Editor, North America

SANYA ONAYOADE is a graduate of Mass Communication and a Master of Communication Arts degree holder from the University of Ibadan. He has attended local and international courses on Media, Branding, Public Relations and Corporate Governance in many institutions including the University of Pittsburgh; Reuters Foundation of Rhodes University, South Africa and Lagos Business School. He has worked in many newspaper houses including The Guardian and The Punch. He was the pioneer Corporate Affairs Manager of Odua Telecoms Ltd, and later Head of Business Development and Marketing of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO Plc).

He has led business teams to several countries in the US, Asia and Europe; and was part of an Aviation investment drive in West Africa. He has also driven media and brand consultancy for a few organizations such as the British Council, Industrial Training Fund, PKF Audit/Accounting Firm and Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme. He is a Fellow of Freedom House, Washington DC, and also Fellow of Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria. Sanya is a member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Project Management Institute (PMI). He is a 1998 Commonwealth Media Awards winner and the Author of A Decade Of Democracy.
Morak Babajide-Alabi

Morak Babajide-Alabi

Continental Editor, Europe

Morak Babajide-Alabi is a graduate of Mass Communication with a Master of Arts Degree in Journalism from Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He is an experienced Social Media practitioner with a strong passion for connecting with customers of brands.

Morak works as part of a team currently building an e-commerce project for the Volkswagen Group UK. Before this, he worked on the social media accounts of SKODA, Audi, SEAT, CUPRA, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. In this job, he brought his vast experience in journalism, marketing, and search engine optimisation to play to make sure the brands are well represented on social media. He monitored the performance of marketing campaigns and data analysis of all volumes of social media interaction for the brands.

In his private capacity, Morak is the Chief Operating Officer of Syllable Media Limited, an England-based marketing agency with head office in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The agency handles briefs such as creative writing, ghostwriting, website designs, and print and broadcast productions, with an emphasis on search engine optimisation. Syllable Media analyses, reviews, and works alongside clients to maximise returns on their businesses.

Morak is a writer, blogger, journalist, and social media “enthusiast”. He has several publications and projects to his credit with over 20 years of experience writing and editing for print and online media in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Morak is a dependable team player who succeeds in a high-pressure environment. He started his professional career with the flagship of Nigerian journalism – The Guardian Newspapers in 1992 where he honed his writing and editing skills before joining TELL Magazine. He has edited, reported for, and produced newspapers and magazines in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Morak is involved in the development of information management tools for the healthcare sector in Africa. He is on the board of DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited, a company with branches in London, Lagos, and Abuja, to make healthcare information available at the fingertips of professionals. DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited achieved this by collaborating with notable informatics companies. It had partnered in the past with Avia Informatics Plc and i2i TeleSolutions Pvt.

Out of work, Morak loves walking and also volunteers on the board of a few UK Charity Organisations. He can be reached via http://www.syllablemedia.com
Ademola-Akinbola

Ademola Akinbola

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Brief Profile of Ademola Akinbola

Ademola AKINBOLA is an author, publisher, trainer, digital marketing strategist, and a brand development specialist with nearly three decades of experience in the areas of branding, communication, corporate reputation management, business development, organizational change management, and digital marketing.

He is the Founder and Head Steward at BrandStewards Limited, a brand and reputation management consultancy. He is also the Publisher of The Podium International Magazine, Ile-Oluji Times, and Who’s Who in Ile-Oluji.

He had a successful media practice at The Guardian, Punch and This Day.

He started his brand management career at Owena Bank as Media Relations Manager before joining Prudent Bank (now Polaris Bank) as the pioneer Head of Corporate Affairs.

The British Council appointed him as Head of Communication and Marketing to co-ordinate branding and reputation management activities at its Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt offices.

In 2007, he was recruited as the Head of Corporate Planning and Strategy for the Nigerian Aviation Handling company. He led on the branding, strategic planning and stakeholder management support function.

His job was later expanded and redesigned as Head of Corporate Communication and Business Development with the mandate to continue to execute the Board’s vision in the areas of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Branding and New Businesses.

In 2010, he voluntarily resigned from nacho aviance to focus on managing BrandStewards, a reputation and brand management firm he established in 2003. BrandStewards has successfully executed branding, re-branding and marketing communication projects for clients in the private and public sectors.

Ademola obtained a M.Sc. Degree in Digital Marketing & Web Analytics from Dublin Institute of Technology in 2016, and the Master of Communication Arts degree of the University of Ibadan in 1997. He had previously obtained a Higher National Diploma (with Upper Credit) in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

He has published several articles and authored five management books.

He has benefitted from several domestic and international training programmes on Brand Management, Corporate Communications, Change Management and Organizational Strategy.
Open chat
Hello. Do you want to keep receiving our stories via WhatsApp? Send us a message!