The Most Dangerous Day In A Woman's Life

Many across Nigeria will be celebrating a baby's delivery today.
Labour has ended with smiles, cheers and thanksgiving.

They say birthdays, funerals, weddings and naming ceremonies are the
commonest social pastimes in Nigeria.

Cue music........

What with the dancing, the food, the drink, the rituals...kolanut, salt,
honey, the Pastor, the Imam, the Priest...

Pregnancy and labour have been vanquished.

Baby is well....mother is -

Stop the music .....

Today, in Africa, the most dangerous day in a woman's life is the birth day!

Almost one third of all maternal deaths globally are concentrated in
two countries: India and Nigeria!

Globally, an estimated 289 000 women died during pregnancy and
childbirth in 2013, a decline of 45 percent from levels in 1990.

Most of them died because they had no access to skilled routine and
emergency care. Since 1990, some countries in Asia and Northern Africa
have more than halved maternal mortality.

There has also been progress in sub-Saharan Africa. But here, unlike
in the developed world where a woman's life time risk of dying during
pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 3700, the risk of maternal death is
very high at 1 in 38. Increasing numbers of women are now seeking care
during childbirth in health facilities and therefore it is important
to ensure that quality of care provided is optimal.

Globally, over 10 percent of all women do not have access to or are
not using an effective method of contraception. It is estimated that
satisfying the unmet need for family planning alone could cut the
number of maternal deaths by almost a third.

Most maternal deaths are preventable. By far the commonest cause is
bleeding; bleeding during pregnancy, while in labour or soon after
delivery of the baby.

Infection, disorders related to high blood pressure, AIDS and
prolonged obstructed labour make up a significant amount. Abortion,
anaemia, embolism and rarely ectopic pregnancy make up the rest.

The Millennium Development Goal #5 set in 1990 aspires (a) to reduce
maternal deaths by 75 percent from 1990 to 2015; and (b) achieve
universal access to reproductive healthcare services by 2015.

As of 2011 Sub-Saharan Africa (including Nigeria) had the highest
number of births to women between 15-19 years of age in the world:
117/1000 women, relatively unchanged from 123 in 1990.

Early childbearing poses great risk to mother and child.

Another problem is family planning. In Nigeria, large differences in
contraceptive use persist between urban/rural populations, rich/poor
people, and the educated/uneducated. Healthcare during pregnancy is
important and must be provided by "skilled and equipped health
personnel"...i.e. a doctor, nurse or midwife.

MDGs Report

An important document titled "Nigeria 2013 MDGs Report" has been
released on the NPHCDA.org website.

It states: "...the maternal mortality rate is 350/100,000 against the
target of 250. The proportion of births attended by skilled health
personnel is currently 53.60% against the target of 100 per cent and
antenatal care coverage (at least one visit)" * the WHO recommends at
least 4 visits!* "is currently 67.7 per cent."

The Federal Government has established a MDGs Acceleration Framework
(MAF) for MDG 5 that they believe" will enable all the targets of MDG
5 to be achieved by 2015."

We are less than 500 days to the deadline.

Nigerian women, daughters, sisters and mothers are waiting.