Maternal Mortality: UNFPA Supports Quality Healthcare Delivery In Kaduna

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), says it is supporting the delivery of quality healthcare to curb infant and maternal mortality in Kaduna State.
The Programme Coordinator and Head of Office, UNFPA Decentralised Office for Northern Nigeria, Ms Mariana Darboe stated this in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.
Reports say that the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Report in the state shows a total of 236 maternal deaths in supported health facilities in 2019, lower than the 242 recorded in 2018.
The reports further show that the maternal mortality was 904/100,000 live births in 2019, also lower than the
970 and 1,084/1000,000 live births recorded in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
However, the 904/100,000 live birth was higher than the national average of 512/100,000 live births.
Darboe noted that maternal mortality was an indicator of the overall health of a population, women status in the society and the functioning of the health system.
She said UNFPA had been supporting the Kaduna State Government in producing the annual maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response report to identify gaps and capacity to provide quality basic healthcare in every health facility.
She explained that the goal was to show how many women were dying in referral hospitals and why.
This, according to her, will enable the state government to take action and improve the quality of healthcare delivery, which in the long run will curb the level of maternal death in health facilities.