Expert expresses fear over attainment of MDG 5

With less than 297 days left to the MDG deadline, Nigeria is still far from achieving the Millennium Development Goal 5 which aims at reducing by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and achieve by 2015 universal access to reproductive health.
The maternal mortality ratio dropped from 1,000 per 100,000 to 576 per 100,000 between 1990 and 2013 (NDHS 2013); a figure, experts said is far from the 250 per 100,000 target expected at the end of 2015.
This is even as Nigeria loses an average of 40,000 women to child birth according to the World Health Organisation in its publication: “Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 – 2013”. The implication of this is that an average of 110 women die daily in child birth.
Commenting on Nigeria’s high maternal mortality ratio, the Programme Officer: Media, Development Communications (DevComs) Network, Mr. Ayodele Adesanmi, said “Nigeria will have to do something drastic to achieve MDG 5.”
The programme officer in his message at the International Women Day celebration in Lagos said achieving the MDG 5 requires intensifying efforts made regarding Midwives Service Scheme (MSS), orientation of public, wide adoption of free maternal and child health programmes, increased funding of maternal health programmes, tracking and learning from causes of maternal deaths and something very innovative.”
The statement made available to Daily Times in Abuja called on the federal government and relevant stakeholders to redouble efforts on the issue if Nigeria must attain the health-related MDG in 2015.