The Federal Ministry of Health has launched six policy documents geared towards tackling maternal and child mortality in the country.
The documents were launched yesterday in Abuja during the commemoration of this year's Safe Motherhood Day by the ministry.
The documents are: Safe motherhood strategy, postpartum hemorrhage guidelines, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia guidelines, essential gynaecological skills (facilitator and participant manual), RMNCAEH quality of care strategy, national training manuals for doctors and nurses on the management of obstetric fistula.
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Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the documents represent our government's promise to not just respond to emergencies, but to build a resilient, people-centered health system that can anticipate and prevent them.
He explained that the Safe Motherhood Strategy (2024-2028) is a roadmap for coordinated, multi-level interventions to protect mothers' lives, adding that the document also has national quantification of maternal health commodities (2024-2028).
While acknowledging that having guidelines for the management of Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) is to standardise lifesaving practices nationwide, he said the Preeclampsia and Eclampsia guidelines are targeted strategies for timely detection and effective management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
He called on all stakeholders; governors, traditional rulers, healthcare workers, community leaders, development partners, and private sector allies to join hands with the government in making safe motherhood a reality in every village, every ward, and every home.
He said, "Let us ensure that no woman dies while giving life. Let us ensure that every child born in Nigeria takes their first breath in safety and with hope."
Permanent secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, who was represented by Dr Binyere Ukaire, Director Family Health, said the ministry has prioritised maternal and newborn health as a cornerstone of the national health agenda.
She said the commitment is evident in the policies the ministry has championed, the partnerships cultivated, and the interventions it continues to scale.
