The number of maternal deaths in Nigeria is second only to that of India. The majority of these maternal deaths, as in the rest of the world, are preventable, and while the causal factors can be multiple and complex, many believe that governments must be held accountable when their actions or inaction contribute to this ongoing loss of women’s lives. This report focuses specifically on the Nigerian government’s responsibility for the dire state of maternal health in the country. Although the document highlights these issues in the context of maternal health, many of the problems discussed have repercussions for the health system overall and the general health of all Nigerians.
The author highlights how while the Nigerian government has repeatedly identified maternal mortality and morbidity as a pressing problem and developed laws and policies in response, these actions have not translated into a significant improvement in maternal health throughout the country. A number of factors inhibit the provision and availability of maternal health care in the country, including: the inadequacy or lack of implementation of laws and policies, the prevalence of systemic corruption, weak infrastructure, ineffective health services, and the lack of access to skilled health-care providers. The low rate of contraceptive use in Nigeria is highlighted in addition to the rates of unsafe abortion which act as a major contributor to maternal mortality in the country. The human rights, legal and policy framework is laid out as are a number of recommendations which include:
- the government of Nigeria must strengthen Nigeria’s human rights framework
- the government of Nigeria must improve access to information within the health-care system
- public and private health care facilities must protect patients’ rights and promote accountability
- the World Bank and IMF must examine the human rights consequences of conditions placed on funding and take the necessary steps to ensure that these conditions do not result in rights violations
- the international donor community must monitor the expenditure of grants and demand transparency and accountability in their use
- civil society organisations must canvass for an open, transparent, and engendered budget.