Nigeria must prioritise investment in family planning services to combat the incidence of maternal and infant mortality, health experts have said.
The experts at the 2022 “Future of Health Conference” held in Abuja on Thursday said adequate investment in family planning is key to addressing maternal and newborn death rates in the country.
The event was organised by the Nigeria Health Watch with support from PACFaH@Scale, a Bill and Melinda Gates-funded project, and anchored by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC).
According to UNICEF, Nigeria’s under-five mortality rate is 113.9 per 1,000 live births, one of the worst in the world.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa says that one in seven global maternal deaths occurs in Nigeria. That is more than 50,000 women dying per year in Nigeria. About 95 per cent of deaths during childbirth are however preventable.
While speaking during the “The economy of Health” panel at the conference on…
