Maternal Mortality Rate Reducing, But More Needs to Be Done – Oyo Health Commissioner
By Adewale Owoade
The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, has acknowledged that while maternal mortality in the state has decreased, more efforts are needed to achieve significant progress.
Speaking at the flag-off of a five-day workshop on the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Innovation Initiative (MAMII) project in Ibadan, Ajetunmobi attributed the progress made so far to Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.
According to the commissioner, maternal mortality reduced from 512 per 100,000 live births in 2018 to 370 per 100,000 live births in 2023, based on the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023.
”You remember that His Excellency, Engineer Oluwaseyi Makinde under the roadmap for sustainable development, Omitutun 2.0 agenda, health is one of it, and under it’s pillars, maternal mortality reduction, neonatal mortality reduction, infant mortality reduction are one of the pillars, one of the achievements that we need to see.
”Even though we can say that the maternal mortality is going down, but it has not gone down significantly, from 2018 where we have 512 per 100,000 live births, according to the NDHS of 2023, we have 370 per 100,000 live births.
”You could see that significantly we have not really achieved, so we want to know, come together and see how we can bring down this maternal mortality rate to the barest minimum.
”So that a woman at home knows where to go to, even at hospital setting, he has the equipment to work, then all our religious leaders, creating awareness that women need to go to the hospital, they need to take vaccination, they need to register for antenatal care, they need to know what is going on, if they have blood shortage, what are the things that they need to know?
”That’s the whole essence of bringing all of us together, so that we know that maternal and neonatal mortality reduction it is a target and it is something that is achievable.”
The National Coordinator of Sector Wide Approach, SWAp, Dr Muntaga Sodiq-Umar who spoke through Dr Iyahen Omoruyi, noted that the initiative is part of the Coordinating Minister of Health’s (Prof. Muhammad Pate), priority projects. and that as at last week they have covered 30 states
”Essentially, unlike in the past where there were prescriptive, directives to states and local governments to do things, the minister has found out that you don’t give people directives, you are not in the state, so you don’t know what is the context, particular context of that community or state.
”So his own directive was, ‘Everybody who is going to be part of those exercises, go to those communities, find out what truly the challenges are, and work with the stakeholders, the partners, the government officials and everybody, to co-create solutions to those problems,” Dr Omoruyi explained.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Akintunde Ayinde, noted that the state government has made significant strides in revitalising primary health centres, employing over 4,000 staff, and implementing initiatives in emergency transportation and health insurance.
“This meeting offers us an opportunity to critically review our progress, harmonize efforts across all stakeholders, and produce an implementation design and plan that reflects our collective determination to make maternal death a reality in Oyo State.
“Our focus will be community-driven solutions – improving health literacy, male involvement, and emergency transport; on facility-based readiness – ensuring 24-hour service delivery, skilled birth attendance, and essential commodities; and on governance promoting data use, accountability, and alignment with the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).”
Dr Olwatunmise Adeagbo, the State Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Desk Officer highlighted the essential of the programme.
”So what this program is essentially about is for us to come together as a state, you can see all stakeholders across board have been mobilised and invited, for us to sit down and have a plan on how we want to crash this burden.
”We would be going to the field essentially where this maternal death happens,” he said.
In their separate remarks, UNICEF Consultant, Dr. Tari Akpandara; Executive Secretary of Oyo State Primary HealthCare Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji; Chairman of the Oyo State Hospital Management Board, Dr Akin Fagbemi.; and Executive Secretary of Oyo State Health Insurance Agency, OYSHIA, Dr Olusola Akande, pledged their support to the success of the programme.
”We hope that at the end of this workshop we would be able to collaboratively work together to ensure that we begin to write the story of newborn and maternal health in the state, ensuring that we fulfill all the expectations regarding universal health coverage,” Dr Akpandara stated.
”So you can be rest assured that we would be able to attach personal sentiment into this stride to make sure that we reverse maternal infant mortality in our society, and primary health care board is the point of execution, so I am cardinally involved,” Dr Olatunji said.
”And I believe that for Nigeria and for Oyo State as a sub-national, positioning in this area will go a long way in ensuring that we take care of the future of the unborn and also those of our children,” Dr Fagbemi said.
”OYSHIA is committed to the issue a lot, as a matter of fact, today we are starting another initiative to bring pregnant women into Oyo State health insurance. We call it, ‘Hospital Storm’, ‘Irorun Iya’,” Dr Akande stated.
