111 Nigerian women die daily from childbirth – UNFPA
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has said that no fewer than one hundred and eleven women in Nigeria die daily during childbirth.
According to the UNFPA, about 214 million women want to prevent pregnancy but lack access to modern method of contraceptive.
The UN Resident Coordinator to Nigeria, Edward Kallon, who was speaking during the official launch of ICPD@25 and UNFPA@50 in Abuja on Monday, said that one-out-of four Nigerian women that have no access to family planning method reside in rural areas and region of insurgency in the country.
He expressed concern that despite the achievements since 1994, the Cairo Agenda (UNFPA dream) is yet to be realised across board including Nigeria as the aggregate development gains has continued to mask widespread inequalities.
He said: ‘’Untold millions of women affected by war or disaster are cut off from reproductive health services. In North East Nigeria of 7.1 million affected, 2.3 girls and 1.6 women are in need services.
‘’Total Fertility rate is still very high in many developing countries (it is 5.5 in Nigeria). World population has grown from 3.6 billion in 1969 to 7.7 billion.
Today in Nigeria from 140.4 million in 2006 to 194 million in 2018 at a growth rate of 3.2%. Demographic trends are more diverse- aging in the developed world, youth bulge and underemployment in developing world.
There is increase urbanization, mobility and displacement and threat of climate change among others.
‘’Untold millions of women affected by war or disaster are cut off from reproductive health services.
In North East Nigeria of 7.1 million affected, 2.3 girls and 1.6 women are in need services. Total Fertility rate is still very high in many developing countries (it is 5.5 in Nigeria)’’.
While calling for the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in Nigeria because of its link to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he added that the UNFPA remained committed to ensuring that the needs of affected population were met in humanitarian crisis. “Every birth should be safe, and every pregnancy wanted”, he said.
He said UNFPA was working assiduously to ensure that every young person’s potential is fulfilled and every girl and woman was treated with dignity and respect.
The event was graced by representatives and Development partners across the globe.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was born In 1969 under the administration of the United Nations Development Programme with a declaration that family planning is a basic human right.
It transitioned and was placed under the authority of the United Nations General Assembly in 1971.
In 1994, a blueprint, which forms the basis of UNFPA’s work, that is the International Conference on Population Programme of Action (ICPD PoA), came into existence.
