Maternal Mortality Rate Drops By 17%, Says FG

 •NAFDAC unveils initiative on maternal health nutrition

 Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government has said that Nigeria is presently witnessing a reduction in deaths of women during childbirth by about 17 percent.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Ali Mohammad Pate who stated this on Tuesday at the launch of three initiatives being undertaken by the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) aimed at safeguarding the health of pregnant women, their newborn and children in Abuja.

He said the initiative is part of the national strategic plan for detection, prevention and response to the distribution of substandard and falsified products in Nigeria.

The minister said though the progress is not enough considering the country’s population, but it is a remarkable improvement in the quest the eradicate the scourge.

Pate said: “In the last two years, some signs of early improvement but a lot more is ahead us. Maternal mortality rate in most of our local government areas have reduced by 17 percent, that is coming from a recent data and newborn deaths has also dropped by 10 percent. 

“But that’s not enough considering the size of our country and dept of our problem. So, it is with great pride and sense of responsibility that I join you here to launch this initiative by NAFDAC”.

Speaking further, the minister said that the initiative is part of federal government’s unwavering determination to safeguard the lives of our women and children while safeguarding the integrity of our healthcare system.

Pate lamented that in the past, many women and children face severe health risk and die from preventable causes.

According to Pate, government’s drive to address some of the inadequacies in our health system are beginning to yield fruits.

He said that more data on progress made so far in the healthcare sector will be unveiled as the ministry commences the joint annual review of health sector begins on Wednesday.

He noted that NAFDAC’s initiative is very important in the efforts to improve maternal and child healthcare as it will give women access to quality medicines when they need them. 

According to Pate, the initiative will help to prevent child malnutrition and ensure proper nutrition for pregnant women and their newborns.

In her speech, Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the launch of three landmark initiatives was designed to strengthen the national health systems and safeguard the well-being of Nigerians.

She said: “Today marks a defining moment in our collective effort to advance public health through the launch of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative, the NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), and the National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027).

“These initiatives are not isolated projects – they are interconnected pillars that reflect NAFDAC’s unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us, especially women and children, while ensuring that every medical product and nutrition intervention in Nigeria is safe, effective, and of assured quality”.

 Adeyeye said the agency is seeking to champion safe motherhood, promote rational medicine use, encourage breastfeeding, and combat harmful practices such as drug misuse and unsafe cosmetics.

“It also aims to support the local production of paediatric medicines and menstrual hygiene products, in close collaboration with ministries, NGOs, and private sector partners.

“The MNCH+N Initiative extends this vision by addressing the critical challenges of malnutrition and maternal and child mortality.

“By regulating life-saving nutrition commodities and enforcing breastfeeding-friendly policies, NAFDAC is ensuring that our children grow healthier and stronger,” she said.

The DG said that NAFDAC hopes to continue to reinforce the regulatory and production systems for sustainable impact through partnerships with WHO, UNICEF, and GAIN

Speaking on the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, Adeyeye said the initiative provides a coordinated framework to protect our citizens from unsafe medicines.

“Through prevention, detection, and response mechanisms, this plan mobilises national and international stakeholders to build a resilient supply chain and promote accountability across the healthcare ecosystem.

“These combined efforts reflect NAFDAC’s leadership and vision – a vision where no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is harmed by falsified medical products,” he said.

In his remarks, the Country Director of the World Health Organization who was represented by Omotayo Hamzat, said the organization is strengthening inter agency collaboration, intelligence, sharing and rapid response mechanisms, ensuring that every medicine, vaccine and health product available in market are safe, effective and of quality, assured status from the World Health Organization, “We commend NAFDAC’s leadership and dedicated teams behind these initiatives may this collective effort further strengthen our nation’s capacity to ensure that no Nigerian, especially no woman or child, suffers harm from substandard and falsified medical products, including diagnostics”.