Nigerian Case Study
The Numbers
Nigeria’s Infant and Maternal mortality situation
Nigeria suffers a disproportionately high level of health issues surrounding childbirth. The maternal mortality rate is 576 per 100,000 live births (51,840 women every year), the 4th highest globally The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa says that one in seven global maternal deaths occurs in Nigeria. That is more than 50,000 women dying per year in Nigeria. and the Infant mortality rate stands at 69 per 1,000 live births (621,000 infant deaths per year), the 2nd highest globally.
The Problem
Over a thousand babies are born in Nigeria every hour! Over 8 million babies yearly (In Africa, almost 50 million babies are born every year). While Nigeria represents 2.8 percent of the world’s population, it currently contributes 10 percent of global deaths for pregnant mothers. This is because about 15 percent of pregnant women in Nigeria develop some complications that require obstetric care, the lack of which puts both their health and the health of their unborn baby in jeopardy.