Saraki calls for legislation to address marternal mortality on International day of the midwife

As the Inaugural Global Midwifery Conference in Nigeria rounds off in Abuja, in commemoration of the International Day of the Midwife, the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki through the Special Assistant on New Media to President of the Senate, Bamikole Omishore , has congratulated midwives across the nation for their contributions towards the healthcare of Nigerian women and newborns.
The Senate President, who is a medical doctor by profession, stated that over the years, midwives have helped to improve the maternal healthcare options available to Nigerian women.

Saraki further stated

“According to data available from UNICEF, the deaths of newborn babies in Nigeria represents a quarter of the total number of deaths of children under-five.”

In this regard, as the event hosted by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses hand Midwives (NANNM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa rounds off, Saraki stated that the Senate and the 8th National Assembly would work out ways to partner with organisations that help to promote the life-saving work of midwives across the nation.

“As we mark International Day of the Midwife 2016,” Saraki said, “The 8th Assembly will partner with organisations and other stakeholders to provide legislation that will help to strengthen the efforts of midwives in Nigeria, to enable them provide better support for expecting mothers.”

According to UNICEF, a Nigerian woman’s chances of dying from pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 13, and presently, only about 20 per cent of health facilities offer emergency obstetric care and only 35 per cent of deliveries are attended by skilled birth attendants.