Nigeria launches incentives to reduce maternal deaths
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The Federal Government of Nigeria began a new program Monday to provide incentives to pregnant women in 172 Local Government Areas across 33 states, aiming to lower the country’s high rates of maternal and newborn deaths.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced the initiative at a national launch in Abuja. Nigeria accounts for nearly 29% of all maternal deaths worldwide, with a woman facing a 1-in-19 lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes.
The program, called the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), began in November 2024 and focuses on areas responsible for 55% of the nation’s maternal deaths, about 20% of all local government areas. The government intends for MAMII to decrease maternal mortality by 30% and neonatal mortality by 20% in these targeted regions by 2028, offering free care to roughly 2.9 million pregnant women.
So far, MAMII has operated in states including Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Ogun, with over 250 health facilities involved. Over 32,000 women and 1,700 newborns have received emergency care through the program, and nearly 79,000 people, 60% of whom were pregnant women, received transportation to healthcare facilities via the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System. Antenatal care attendance increased by 20% in a single quarter in areas where MAMII is active.
The government plans to expand the program nationwide, building on these initial successes.
