Maternal and Child Health

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

Nigeria’s maternal mortality statistics currently at 540 deaths per 100,000 in 2013 has continued to be unacceptably high. However, some progress has been made over the years in reducing the maternal mortality ratio from 1,200 deaths in 1990 to 540 deaths in 2013 per 100,000 live births. Similarly, Under 5 Mortality Ratio dropped from 191 deaths in 1990 to 94 deaths in 2012 per 1,000 live births. Unmet need for family planning stands at 14% for all women and 16% for women of reproductive age 15 to 49 years thus exposing women to adolescent unplanned pregnancies,  too frequent, too many or too late pregnancies. The three delays- at home, delayed transportation and delays in the facility and the inadequately skilled attendants at birth have combined to cause high maternal mortality for pregnant women.

Furthermore, nutritional deficiencies, malaria, diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections (ARI), and vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) are serious challenges affecting child survival in the country. ACHL commits to improving the health of mothers, pregnant women, and children under the age of five in Nigeria through supporting interventions aimed at preventing the three delays enumerated above.