By Sulayman Gobir
The Federal Government has rolled out 295,000 maternal and newborn support packages under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, MAMII, to increase access to antenatal and postnatal care and reduce preventable deaths.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, flagged off the distribution at a forum in Abuja, comprising 215,000 mama kits and bags, 40,000 maternal food support packs and 40,000 sets of essential newborn clothing for vulnerable pregnant women.
Senator Tinubu said the intervention would help remove some of the social, economic, cultural and logistical barriers that prevent women from accessing quality maternal healthcare.
She said the support would encourage disadvantaged pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics, prepare for childbirth and continue receiving essential care after delivery.
The First Lady said the government would extend the food and newborn clothing support to additional local government areas with low uptake of MAMII incentives.
She said maternal nutrition plays a critical role in healthy pregnancies and safe deliveries, while the newborn clothing package reflects the government’s commitment to giving every Nigerian child a healthy and dignified start in life.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Adekunle Salako, said Nigeria faces one of the world’s most severe maternal mortality crises.
Citing the 2023–24 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, Salako said a Nigerian woman faces about a one-in-19 lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes, compared with one in 4,900 in the world’s most developed countries.
He said Nigeria accounts for nearly 29 per cent of global maternal deaths, describing the figure as a major public health challenge.
Salako said MAMII, launched in November 2024, currently targets 172 local government areas across 33 states. He said the selected councils represent about 20 per cent of the country’s councils but account for 55 per cent of maternal deaths.
He said the Federal Government aims to cut maternal mortality by 30 per cent and neonatal mortality by 20 per cent by 2028, while providing free, timely and comprehensive care to 2.9 million pregnant women.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the government was tackling maternal mortality by strengthening primary healthcare facilities, deploying skilled health workers and essential commodities, improving emergency referrals and reducing financial barriers to care.
Edited by Julian Osamoto
