Health/ Nigeria launches free emergency C-Sections for vulnerable women to combat high maternal mortality

Nigeria has launched a groundbreaking initiative to provide free emergency Caesarean sections to impoverished women, addressing a key factor in the country’s high maternal mortality rate.

With 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births, Nigeria ranks fourth globally in maternal deaths, largely due to limited access to life-saving procedures, especially in rural areas where many families cannot afford emergency care.

Health Minister Muhammad Pate announced the plan as part of the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, which ensures eligible women can receive emergency Caesareans in public hospitals.

“No woman should die because she can’t afford a C-section,” Pate said, emphasizing the program’s mission to eliminate cost barriers.

Caesarean costs average around 60,000 naira ($36), an expense out of reach for many, with over 40% of Nigerians living below the extreme poverty line.

To qualify, women must be enrolled in Nigeria’s public health insurance scheme, with social welfare units in hospitals assessing financial need.

This initiative aims to reduce preventable maternal deaths from conditions like obstructed labor, haemorrhage, and pre-eclampsia.

Supporters, including the World Bank and WHO, call it transformative. Advocates like Rhoda Robinson of HACEY and Mabel Onwuemena of Women of Purpose Foundation urge broader healthcare support, envisioning improved outcomes for Nigerian mothers and infants.