[afro-nets] Nigerian women still die needless deaths

[Media Resource Advocacy Centre <mracnigeria@yahoo.com>]

Nigerian women still die needless deaths
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HEALTH NEWS

A public health bulletin for journalists by Media Resource and
Advocacy Centre (MRAC, a project of Development Communications
Network

August 24, 2005


Contact:
Tessa Anota
Development Communications Network
Tel.: +234-802-3389-575
mailto:devcoms@yahoo.com
mailto:tessanota@yahoo.com

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Pregnancy, childbirth still an extremely dangerous reproductive
process

August 24, 2005

Lagos Nigeria: By the end of this hour six women would have died
from complications of pregnancy and childbirth somewhere in Ni-
geria. And by the end of today over 140 maternal deaths would
have been recorded in various homes and households across the
country, portraying pregnancy and childbirth as an extremely
dangerous reproductive and biological process.

This is the grim statistics affirming that Nigerian women still
die needless deaths, accounting for ten per cent (50,000 mater-
nal deaths) of the 550,000 annual global maternal deaths says
three experts today at a Media for Development Forum raised the
alarm at a media discourse organized by Development Communica-
tions Network, a not-for-profit, science communication and
health promotion organization. The Forum is a regular interface
programme that provides journalists the opportunity to interact
with scientists, medical experts in science, public health sec-
tor and development.

The experts extensively examined issues relating to maternal
death and disability as it relates to Nigerian women concluding
that enough is not being done to save the lives of women in per-
forming their reproductive duty. Speakers at this months? forum
are Dr. Ejike Oji, Country Director of IPAS, Abuja; Dr. Sola
Odujirin, Reproductive Health Adviser, at the World Health Or-
ganisation, Nigeria and Mrs Idowu Ogunmayin, Programme Officer,
Safe Motherhood at the Federal Ministry of Health Abuja Nigeria.
Their Forum topics include: ?Prevention and Management of com-
plications of unsafe abortion,? ?Making pregnancy safer? and
?National program approaches on maternal health, reproductive
health and sexual rights? respectively.

Odujinrin, warned ?every minute, a woman dies from complications
of pregnancy and childbirth somewhere in the world - at least
550,000 deaths per year.?

?For each one who dies, another 30 to 50 suffer debilitating in-
jury, infection or disease. Maternal mortality represents the
greatest disparity between rich and poor countries, with 99 per-
cent of maternal deaths occurring in the developing world,? says
Mrs Idowu Ogunmayin, Program Officer Safe Motherhood, Federal
Ministry of Health.

In sub-Saharan Africa, one in every 13 women dies of pregnancy
related causes during her lifetime compared with 1 in 4,085 in
developed countries. Most of these casualties could be prevented
if women had access to basic medical care during pregnancy,
childbirth and the post-partum period. For every woman who dies,
approximately 30 more endure injuries, infection and disabili-
ties in pregnancy or childbirth; this means that at least 15
million women a year suffer from pregnancy or childbirth compli-
cations. ?Nigeria constitutes about 2% of the world?s population
but contributes 10% of the 550,000 maternal mortality rate annu-
ally,? says Odujirin. Delays at home/household, community and
health care levels have a great impact on maternal mortality.
Though none of these delays should be tolerated, ?that at the
health facility level is highly unforgivable as it amounts to
professional negligence,? she adds. The causes of maternal mor-
tality include haemorrhage (25 per cent), Indirect causes (20
per cent), Sepsis (15 per cent), Abortion (13 per cent), Hyper-
tension disorders (12 per cent), Obstructed labour (8 per cent)
and other direct causes (7 per cent). ?The Nigeria Abortion Law
is an adopted British statute of 1861? states Oji, IPAS Country
Director. According to him, there is the need to review the
abortion law of Nigeria. Also, there is the problem of cultural
barrier which rests heavily on the stigma placed on abortion. If
the stigma is removed, people would come out openly and would no
longer go underground in search for abortion ­ a route through
which many lives have been lost, Oji says.

Prevention of maternal mortality would be effective if only the
rights of women are recognised and acknowledged by everyone. If
women were empowered both economically and otherwise, when they
are faced with complications such as haemorrhage, which is the
most responsible cause of maternal mortality at 23%, they would
be able to take decision and access health care facilities with-
out necessarily waiting for the husband who could arrive at the
point death. Therefore, whenever any woman dies as a result of
complications from unsafe abortion, the society has failed such
woman.

Family Planning, focused antenatal care, clean safe delivery,
new born care among others are the pillars of safe motherhood.
These would go a long way in reducing the maternal mortality
rate especially in Nigeria.

In attendance were journalists on the science/health beat of
various media organisations in Nigeria as well as journalism
student from Times Journalism Institute, University of Lagos and
Lagos State University (LASU) School of Communications. The stu-
dents were recently trained on science and public health jour-
nalism with reproductive health and sexual rights as a case
study.

DEVCOMS NETWORK is a media-based, non-governmental, not-for-
profit, science communication and health promotion organization
whose mission is to ensure public understanding of science and
health related issues through appropriate communication strategy
such as capacity building for journalists, public health educa-
tion and promotion, as well as, fostering media, scientists, and
NGO/Development sector partnership.

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Media Resource Advocacy Centre
mailto:mracnigeria@yahoo.co