The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Wednesday emphasised the need for political will, socio-cultural reforms, women’s empowerment, and stronger health systems to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths in Nigeria.
According to UNFPA, addressing health financing gaps, strengthening data and accountability mechanisms, promoting family planning, and enhancing community engagement are also critical to crashing Nigeria’s high maternal and neonatal mortality rate.
The Technical Specialist for Reproductive and Maternal Health at UNFPA Nigeria, Lordfred Achu, said this at the ongoing 66th National Council on Health in Calabar, themed, “My health, my right: Accelerating universal health coverage through equity, resilience, and innovation.”
Achu stated that persistent issues such as limited female autonomy, inadequate health infrastructure, shortages of skilled personnel, and poor inter-sectoral coordination continue to impede maternal health progress.
The 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics Report released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare showed that Nigeria recorded an estimated 20,811 maternal, neonatal and under-five deaths between January and September 2025.
The report revealed that in the first quarter of the year (January to March), the country recorded 1,244 maternal deaths, 1,706 neonatal deaths, and 3,820 under-five deaths. In the second quarter (April to June), the country recorded 1,232 maternal deaths, 1,809 neonatal deaths, and 3,672 under-five deaths, while it recorded 1,213 maternal deaths, 1,900 neonatal deaths, and 4,215 under-five deaths in the third quarter (July to September).
The top 10 leading causes of maternal deaths, according to the data, are maternal complications, cardiovascular diseases, malaria, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus, sepsis, anaemia, tuberculosis, and neonatal complications, while the top 10 causes of neonatal and under-five deaths are diarrhoea, malnutrition, pneumonia/acute respiratory infections, anaemia, meningitis, sepsis, severe malnutrition or hunger, septicaemia, tetanus, and hypoxaemia.
The PUNCH
