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HomeNewsAfricaNigeria loses $1.5b to maternal mortality – UNFPA

Nigeria loses $1.5b to maternal mortality – UNFPA

Deputy Resident Representative of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Eugene Kongnyuy has said that globally maternal mortality leads to productivity loss of $15billion every year.

Kongnyuy who disclosed this in Lagos at the weekend, said if we were to save their lives, we would be saving $15billion and in Nigeria, we’ll be saving $1.5billiob dollars every year.

He spoke at the unveiling of Nollywood actress Stephanie Linus as the Maternal Health Ambassador for UNFPA In his address, Kongnyuy said, “111 women die every day from pregnancy related complications; these deaths could have been prevented.

This is like two to three large aircrafts, full of people crashing every day. But nothing is being done about it”. Dr. Eugene further explained in his speech that one of the reasons UNFPA is interested in Maternal Mortality is that the deaths can be prevented.

The women die because they don’t have access to information about family planning. He said “West and Central Africa contributes six per cent of the world population, but in terms of maternal mortality burden, it accounts for 33 per cent.

Nigeria constitutes two per cent of the world population, but when it comes to maternal mortality burden, it constitutes 12 per cent”. Thus, he emphasised the need for everyone to promote family planning.

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“Even if you don’t have money, you should tell people about family planning and convince them that they need to visit clinics to adopt the practice.” On his part, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole who was representated by Mr. Greg Izuwa, said he has been advocating antenatal care for pregnant women to ensure safe delivery. He said “one of my greatest achievements is that I take time to go home each time I have space.

When I go to my kindred, I tell them: “If your wife is pregnant, she should go to the clinic, but if you don’t want to access that clinic, I will give the person N300 to go to another clinic so as to make sure that wife delivers safely.

The result is that in the last eighteen years, no woman has lost her life in that village over pregnancy complications”. Though, he added that this fact was not backed by any document, Mr. Izuwa associates himself with the success.

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