The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) has reported an alarming rate of maternal mortality in Kaduna State, putting the figures at 5 pregnant women dying per day, and 150 pregnant women dying per month, on the average. This was disclosed by the Kaduna State NURHI team leader, Alhaji Abdullahi Kabiru, who cited poverty as the main cause.
“We are loosing many women to death because of lack of money and that makes them to deliver at home, and if complication arises they die before reaching hospital,” said Alhaji Abdullahi Kabiru.
In addition to poverty, he also noted that a dearth of medical personnel in the highly populated state, which made it impossible for healthcare needs to be adequately met, was another contributing factor. He pointed out that Kaduna State with a population of over 7 million people, has only 150 doctors and 1300 nurses to attend to patients.
Training, providing limited supporting renovation, and equipment supply to hospitals in Kaduna State, are some of the ways NURTI intends to improve the quality of healthcare in Kaduna State. Families have also been advised to adopt effective family planning measures, as this would help them space out the number of children they have, and ensure that the women are of good health.
“Family planning can reduce maternal mortality by 35 percent for Women, and one in 11 Child will also survive death because they have better care. So, we encourage families to space birth. This improves the health of the woman, its also saves the live of the woman and child. The major cause of the maternity death is due to excessive bleeding, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, miscarriage.”
