The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing incidents of maternal mortality in the country.
Naija News reports that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said no woman should die from birth complications.
Professor Pate, who stated this in an interview with Channels TV, on Friday, blamed lack on funds for the maternal mortality cases.
“The poorest and most vulnerable women and children are an important priority. If women will die because they cannot afford the treatment when they have a complication, pregnancy is not a disease, why should a woman die because she cannot afford a cesarean section? Minimally, it costs 150,000 and there are women whose families may not be able to afford that,” he said.
Pate highlighted that the federal government has put out policies that would help address costs that affect pregnant women.
He disclosed that Nigeria has a maternal mortality rate of 512 deaths of 10,000 births. He assured that the government was committed to addressing it.
“In the context of this reform that the President is undertaking through the health sector, we mobilize the resources, working with the health insurance authority, to ensure that empanel facilities can reimburse and that there is a system from basic facilities to ones that have comprehensive emergency management or specific services that are certified, that women who get there, cost will not be a burden.
“What does that mean, instead of the big things of infrastructure, equipment, that’s important, but it’s really bringing relief directly to the woman and their family.
We spent months in the design and the planning and the resource mobilization, the last several months. We’re in the phase of execution, getting things done. People are feeling the impact of this President in the health sector and it’s just the beginning because the resources are there.
We believe that by doing so, the maternal mortality, which is 512 per 100,000 according to the latest data, will reduce further,” he added.
