By Gbenga Akingbule
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) at the weekend lamented that the worsening security situation in the Lake Chad Region is negatively Impacting the healthcare delivery services.
Gatekeepers News reports that the UNFPA said the issue of maternal mortality increased due to worsening insecurity in the region, stating that a very high number of over 1,500 women are dying while giving birth.
But Alain Akpadji. The representative of the UNFPA Regional Director for West and Central Africa Dr Sennen Hounton, assured that the UNFPA is working with relevant stakeholders holders across the region to reach zero preventive maternal deaths.
This was made known by Akpadji at the sidelines of the 5th Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum Meeting held at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.
According to Akpadji “We have 1, 546 deaths out of 100,000 childbirths which is very very high compared to the data that we have, which is 546. The difference is about 1000 women dying.
“The security situation is worsening and negatively Impacting the humanitarian situation that affects the continuity and well-functioning of the health centres.The data that we have for maternal mortality in the region is very very high,” Akpadji said.
The UNFPA representative also identified displacement of persons due to insecurity in the region and non functional health care facilities as some of the factors bedeviling the healthcare services in the region.
He affirms UNFPA’s commitment to concentrate more on preventive measures to tackling challenges associated with maternal mortality Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Lake Chad Region.
“The region continues to grapple with high fertility rates, early and forced marriages, adolescent pregnancies, and fragile health systems, making UNFPA’s interventions vital for sustainable development and human rights.
“The key interventions that we’re already doing is to intensify and build capacity of the health facilities so that they can provide quality essential healthcare services so that women don’t die while giving birth,” Akpadji said.
