The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised fresh alarm on the number of women who die during childbirth, pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. The body says there is no reason any woman should die during pregnancy or child delivery with modern technology.
The UNICEF Chief of Field, Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, stated this while delivering opening remarks during a two-day media dialogue on “Strengthening Primary Healthcare Systems: GAVI – UNICEF PHC MoU,” held in Gombe.
Rafique stated that, “A situation where 10,000 women die during pregnancy or at delivery, out of 100,000, is unacceptable.”
She added, “It is a trend that must be checked and stopped.”
She noted that every hand must be on deck to seek solutions to the problem.
“Every woman has the right to good healthcare services during pregnancy until safe delivery at the facility provided.
“I am a mother; I have my children, and I know the pains and joys of motherhood, no woman wants to have complications during pregnancy and delivery, and no woman wants to lose a child. “We must all work together to give her and her child life,” said Rafique.
She further spoke on the pressing issue of zero doses of vaccines and immunizations in Gombe and Taraba States. According to her, there’s an urgent need for relevant stakeholders to address the problem.
To this end, the GAVI-UNICEF Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in 2022 for the states to ensure that every child receives the full course of necessary vaccinations and immunisations.