Experts have urged stakeholders and the Federal Government to provide free pregnancy care and make contraceptives accessible to every Nigerian woman to help reduce maternal deaths.
They made this call on Thursday in Abuja at the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Summit 1.0, organised by the Media Health and Rights Initiative of Nigeria, with the theme: “A Choice for All: Freedom to Plan, Power to Choose.”
The summit was held to mark the 2024 World Contraception Day and International Safe Abortion Day.
World Contraception Day, observed on 26th September each year, highlights the importance of contraception and family planning, while International Safe Abortion Day, celebrated on 28th September, promotes access to safe abortion care as essential for the health and rights of women and girls.
The National President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Professor Rosemary Ogu, emphasised the need for the Federal Government to increase funding for reproductive health and make contraceptives accessible.
“Contraception is a strategy to prevent women from dying, help them pursue education, and enable adults to reach their full potential,” she said.
She highlighted that rural communities face significant challenges in accessing family planning resources, leading to higher maternal mortality rates.
“Nigeria has a demographic bulge. If we are all healthy, Nigeria can become the greatest nation on earth,” Ogu added.
The Country Director of Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation, Lucky Palmer, pointed out that the lack of contraception and access to safe abortion are major contributors to maternal mortality in Nigeria.
“Currently, Nigeria contributes about 28 per cent of global maternal mortality. It’s the highest in the world. In some countries, when one or two women die from pregnancy-related complications, there are serious consequences. But in Nigeria, it has become normal, and we don’t question it. This should not be the case.
“We must do whatever is possible to stop it. Contraception enables women to space their pregnancies and recover fully before becoming pregnant again. This makes the pregnancy experience much safer and more enjoyable.
“Abortion is not a moral issue; it is a healthcare issue and should be treated as such,” Palmer said.
The Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning, Dr Ejike Orji, noted that while Nigeria has seen a 40 per cent reduction in maternal mortality over the past eight years, the country still holds the highest maternal mortality rate globally.
He expressed concern that 70 per cent of those affected are girls under the age of 15.
Dr Orji added that family planning efforts have historically relied on donor funding but noted that the current administration has already released $4m, with donors contributing an additional $6m.
The Board Chair of the Media Health and Rights Initiative of Nigeria, Dr Ufuoma Omo-Obi, stressed the importance of accessible healthcare for Nigerian youths, particularly pregnant women, in reducing the country’s maternal mortality rate.
Omo-Obi said, “Modern contraceptive prevalence and maternal mortality ratios are key indicators of a country’s progress. When contraceptives are not available, the contraceptive prevalence rate drops, and maternal mortality increases.
“Observing these days brings to the forefront the urgent need for Nigeria and Nigerians to advance discussions and ensure contraceptive services are available and accessible to all when needed.
“We hope that every child, every woman, every boy, and every girl will fulfil their fundamental right to have children by choice, not by chance. This can only be achieved with access to contraceptives.”
