Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University, Okada, has called for an emergency action over the nation’s maternal mortality rates, declaring it the highest in the world with approximately 1047 women dying for every 100,000 live births-a figure far above the African regional average.
He said this translates to an estimated 82,000 women lost annually or nearly one death every seven minutes due to largely preventable complications like hemorrhage, sepsis and hypertensive disorders.
He raised the concern at the Valedictory lecture organized by the University in honour of Prof Jacob Aghomo Unuigbe at the University Main Auditorium, Okada.
Prof. Ezemonye noted that the above number of deaths are not just statistics but they are our daughters, sisters and mothers and that their continued loss is a national indictment.
Speaking about the celebrant, Ezemonye described him as a man who has contributed greatly to the world of medicine.
“It is my singular honour to welcome you all to this landmark valedictory lecture, a momentous occasion in the academic calendar of our great institution.
“Today, we gather not merely for a valedictory session but to celebrate a legacy of rigorous scholarship and to honour a life dedicated to the most vulnerable among us: our mothers and children. |
“We are here to honour our esteemed and outstanding academia, Prof. Jacob Aghomo Unuigbe, whose pioneering research on maternal health in Benin City has illuminated the dark corners of a persistent national tragedy.
“As the Vice-Chancellor of Nigeria’s premier private university, I am extremely proud that our community has produced such a distinguished mind, one of the finest, whose decades of evidence
have forced us to confront uncomfortable truths about our healthcare system”, Ezemonye said.
Sharing the same line of thoughts with Ezemonye on maternal mortality rates, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Delichukwu Anumba, said that despite measurable progress in increasing access to health facilities, the maternal mortality ratio still remains well above international targets.
He disclosed this while speaking as guest speaker on the topic: “Reducing maternal mortality in Nigeria: “What still works and what must change -A journey through the evidence” at the Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Edo State .
Prof. Anumba lamented that Nigeria have continued to endure one of the heaviest burdens of maternal mortality worldwide and the causes according to him are tragically consistent: postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, sepsis, obstructed labour and complications from unsafe abortions.
The Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology added that though the clinical tools needed to prevent most maternal deaths are well known such as skilled birth attendance, active management of the third stage of labour, timely administration of magnesium sulphate for eclampsia, access to safe caesarean sections, yet access alone is insufficient.
He further went on to say that for Nigeria as a country to achieve a sustainable reductions in maternal mortality, there should be proper staffing, safe working conditions, incentives for rural service and a professional culture that encourages learning rather than fear-based practices.
On the part of the celebrant, Prof. Jacob Aghomo Unuigbe, he commended the founder of the institution for granting him the opportunity to have lectured in the University for 19 years having put in 17 years of his career in the University of Benin and 16 years in Saudi Arabia.
The Prof. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a former Provost of the College of Health Sciences at the University, noted that he would continue to contribute his quota to the institution despite his retirement as long as he is still very healthy.
