Topic:
Country: Nigeria
Delegate Name: Ainsley Roepcke
Before modern medicine, maternal mortality rates were extremely high. It is estimated that around 1-2% of women died from childbirth complications. Poor sanitation and lack of sterile equipment worsened outcomes. With advances such as anesthesia, outcomes began improving in industrialized countries. While some women benefited from new medical practices, an abundance of women still had little access to proper healthcare. To this day, many low-income nations continue to face high maternal mortality rates due to a lack of healthcare systems. In 1987, The Safe Motherhood Initiative marked the first global response to maternal mortality. Its approach was built around improving access to maternal health services, family planning and reproductive health, and women’s empowerment. Through the Safe Motherhood Initiative, the United Nations mobilized governments to acknowledge maternal mortality as a public health priority, and encouraged them to adopt Safe Motherhood programs with clear strategies and budgets. Despite their efforts, maternal mortality is still a major issue occurring worldwide. Nigeria has a high rate of maternal mortality, recording 814 deaths per 100,000 births in 2015. Nigeria is concerned with this issue and is committed to finding a solution, working with fellow delegates.
One recent estimate claims that Nigeria accounts for nearly 30% of global maternal deaths. The World Health Organization has helped Nigeria improve quality of maternal and newborn care through initiatives such as the Quality, Equity, and Dignity (QED) project which provides training for healthcare workers and improvement in hospital standards, patient safety, and maternity care. Additionally, WHO and Nigeria launched the Midwives Service Scheme, deploying skilled midwives to rural communities. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) works to increase access to family planning services by supplying reproductive health kits and by actively running campaigns against gender-based violence, which is linked to poor maternal health outcomes. The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) helps improve nutrition and immunization, which are essential for reducing maternal deaths. Nigeria also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal, which is aiming to reduce global maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100,000 births by 2030. Maternal mortality is not uniform across Nigeria, with northern Nigeria estimated to have a maternal mortality rate about five times higher than the south. Despite having strong policies and partnerships, Nigeria is a country that faces severe health system challenges and needs assistance to effectively reduce maternal mortality. Nigeria has shown consistent commitment to supporting United Nations resolutions that promote women’s rights, gender equality, and safe motherhood.
Nigeria has made moderate progress in reducing maternal deaths. The country has strengthened health policies, expanded midwife and hospital programs, and partnered with international organizations to improve maternal and newborn health. However, progress has been slower than needed to meet global targets. Nigeria’s maternal mortality fell from about 1,200 to 814 deaths per 100,000 births, showing progress but not at the pace required. Despite visible progress, Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate remains among the highest in the world. Nigeria spends less than 5% of its national budget on health, despite the 15% target set by the 2001Abuja Declaration that Nigeria helped create. Nigeria encourages the United Nations to expand funding and training for maternal health by helping low-income countries meet the 15% health budget target. By ensuring every woman has a safe delivery, nations can collectively achieve the goal of ending preventable maternal deaths by 2030.
