Why Must They Die?

Kano — Why the people that constitute about 49 per cent of the Nigerian population should face death threat simply because they are trying to fulfil their divine and moral obligation!

It is worthy to note that recent statistics of maternal death in Nigeria is alarming. Nigeria is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) document, whose fifth goal is geared towards promoting maternal health. But unfortunately, UNFPA reports reveal that about 60,000 women die each year in Nigeria as a result of pregnancy and its related complication. Nigeria is ranked second highest next to India in maternal death, (Media Global, 2010).

The reasons why several programmes initiated to curb the scourge of the menace have not been successful are lack of qualitative implementation of policies and inherent corrupt practices of the country's high ranking officials. It is disturbing to note that some women still travel long distance atop donkeys to seek ante-natal care, and it is revealed that the rural areas are the worse affected.

Most women in rural areas do not believe, and have no confidence, in the orthodox ante-natal care which the various health facilities can provide. This could be zeroed down to the fact that they are not properly educated on the importance of seeking for natal care.

It is not surprising to find that the use of unconventional and unsterilized objects to expand women's genitals, popularly known as wankan gishiri, to give access for the baby to come out still prevails in some parts of Nigeria. A lot of complications are recorded from women that undergo such procedure; the worst is Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), whose victims suffer from physical and psychological trauma as well as social stigma.

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The MDG document reveals that another cause of maternal mortality is the 3Ds: Delay in reporting the case, Delay in transportation and Delay in medical attention. They are preventable, and the Nigerian government has no excuse not to improve maternal health by half by 2015, in view of its abundant human and material resources.

Government should complement the effort of the MDG to embark on awareness and education campaign to inform the rural dwellers on the importance of ante-natal care. More health facilities should be created and qualified personnel should be sent to the rural areas to provide easy access to healthcare services rather than leaving them to travel on donkeys, miles away from their villages.

Adamu A Zakari, Bayero University, Kano.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201009150531.html