Nigeria continues to struggle with maternal deaths yet only 17.5 per cent of health facilities in the country offer postnatal care services.
The 2023 National Health Facility Survey (NHFS), published on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), revealed this.
The NHFS assessed 3,330 health facilities, with a nominal sample of 90 facilities in each of the 36 Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). To put the aspect of postnatal care into perspective, this means only about 583 health facilities provide the important service.
According to the survey, over 16 per cent of the primary health facilities offer postnatal care services, while the rate for secondary health facilities is 50.7 per cent.
It also reveals that while the state with the highest percentage of health facilities providing postnatal care services was Kaduna with 40.7 per cent, Niger had the least with 1.2 per cent.
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MATERNAL DEATHS IN NIGERIA
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), millions of women around the world experience postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) each year.
PPH refers to blood loss of 500 ml or more within 24 hours after birth and is the leading cause of maternal deaths worldwide.
The WHO also states that a Nigerian woman has a 1 in 22 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum.
The 2023 United Nations (UN) report on trends in maternal mortality from 2000 to 2020 further reveals that the country accounts for almost 28.5% of maternal deaths worldwide.
Due to the fact that most maternal and infant deaths occur in the first six weeks after delivery, the WHO recommends allowing healthy mothers and their newborns to stay at a health facility for at least 24 hours. Also, all mothers and babies need at least four postnatal checkups in the first six weeks.
READ ALSO: REPORT: Nigeria’s 36 States Get F9 on Health Preparedness Index
FIJ earlier reported that over two-thirds of the sampled health facilities lack essential drugs and basic medical equipment.
According to the survey, 35% of the facilities had essential drugs available and unexpired, but the remaining 65% either had expired drugs or did not have the essentials at all.
Some of these essential drugs included critical medications like paracetamol, aspirin, amoxicillin and oral rehydration salts. More drugs missing also affect postnatal services.
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