‘Adolescents contribute 40% of Nigeria’s maternal mortality burden’

Adolescents contribute 40 percent to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality ratio, the minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has said.

Quoting from the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2018, he said the country’s maternal mortality ratio is 512 per 100,000 live births.

Speaking during the inauguration of the national adolescent health and development technical working group and advocacy meeting with health commissioners in Abuja, he said adolescents make up a significant proportion (22 per cent) of the population of Nigeria.

He said the federal government, in collaboration with partners, also launched the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent and Elderly Health, plus Nutrition Multi-Stakeholders Partnership Coordination Platform (RMNCAEH+N MSPCP) last year.

He said, “This is necessary at this critical time in our history, as we make the efforts to reverse the unacceptably high burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality.”

 The minister said the national adolescent health and development technical working group, which is chaired by Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, would provide technical guidance to the Federal Ministry of Health towards the implementation of the Adolescent Health and Development (AHD) policy to improve the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young people in the country.