The federal government has reiterated its commitment to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, stressing the need to move beyond access to ensuring quality, timely and equitable care for women across the country.
At the 2026 Safe Motherhood Day commemoration on Tuesday in Abuja, the coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said while the country has recorded progress in expanding maternal health services, significant gaps remain in the quality of care received by pregnant women.
The event, themed “Closing the Gap: From Coverage to Quality Care for Every Mother,” focused on addressing disparities in service delivery and improving outcomes for mothers and newborns.
The minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Kachallom Daju, highlighted the rollout of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII), which is currently being implemented in 32 states.
He said the programme is designed to tackle leading causes of maternal and neonatal deaths through improved service delivery, emergency care and strengthened referral systems.
According to him, early results from MAMII-supported areas show a 20 per cent increase in antenatal care attendance, while over 166,000 previously unregistered pregnant women have been identified and linked to health facilities in several states, including Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Yobe, Sokoto and Zamfara.
He added that more than 111,000 maternity kits have been distributed nationwide, with additional supplies underway, while essential maternal and newborn health commodities have been delivered to hundreds of primary healthcare centres.
The minister also pointed to expanded emergency response services under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) and the Rapid Emergency Services for Maternal and Neonatal Transport (RESMAT). He said 612 ambulances have been deployed across 340 local government areas, facilitating the transportation of nearly 79,000 patients, about 60 per cent of whom are pregnant women.
On financing, the government said the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is increasing access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services. Over 32,000 women and 1,700 newborns have benefitted from the scheme so far, with more than 250 health facilities currently participating.
To improve service quality, the minister announced the introduction of new clinical protocols, updated antenatal care guidelines and training packages aimed at strengthening the capacity of health workers to manage obstetric and newborn emergencies.
He noted that more than 2,000 skilled birth attendants and 3,000 community health workers have been recruited in selected states to support service delivery, with additional recruitment ongoing.
Despite these efforts, the minister acknowledged that maternal mortality remains a major concern, calling for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, health workers, communities and development partners.
“Every maternal death is preventable and unacceptable,” he said, urging stakeholders to ensure that policies translate into practical improvements in healthcare delivery.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary said the focus must now shift from expanding coverage to improving the quality of care provided at all levels of the health system.
She noted that initiatives such as MAMII and NEMSAS are part of broader efforts to strengthen referral systems, expand insurance coverage and bring services closer to communities.
Daju called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that no woman dies while giving life, stressing that improved outcomes depend on a resilient health system capable of delivering effective and respectful care.
National Safe Motherhood Day is observed annually on April 11th to promote high-quality maternal health, ensure proper antenatal/postnatal care, and reduce preventable maternal deaths.
The event brought together government officials, development partners, health professionals and civil society groups to review progress and renew commitments to reducing maternal and neonatal deaths in Nigeria.
