Tragic Loss of Twins in Abuja Exposes Nigeria's Deep Health System Cracks

The heartbreaking case of a pregnant woman in Abuja, Nigeria, who lost her twins due to a preventable tragedy, has shone a light on the deep cracks in the country's health system that continue to cost lives. The woman, who was carrying twins, was forced to walk kilometres in the heat to collect a referral letter from her clinic in Mpape before the hospital would admit her for delivery. Despite the efforts of a concerned citizen, the woman lost her twins due to a lack of preparedness and inadequate infrastructure at the facility.

Key Takeaways:

• The woman's case highlights the failure of Nigeria's health system to provide timely and adequate care, resulting in preventable deaths.
• The country's maternal and newborn mortality rates remain high, with Nigeria far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets.
• The Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system, which requires the documentation and review of every maternal, perinatal, or child death, must be strengthened to drive action in preventing future deaths.
• A functional, digitised referral system is essential to prevent delays and ensure seamless referral pathways between primary, secondary, and tertiary facilities.
• Access to Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) is vital to reduce anaemia, low birth weight, and stillbirth, and improve survival chances for both mother and baby.
• Maternal undernutrition remains a silent crisis in Nigeria, with 1 in 5 women of reproductive age being undernourished and anaemia affecting more than 60% of pregnant women.
• The use of digitised patient records, as seen in the FOR M(om) programme in Lagos, Delta, and Kano states, is a step forward, but these systems must be interoperable to ensure patients' information follows them across every level of care.

Statistics:

• Nigeria's maternal mortality rate is 512 deaths per 100,000 live births (SDG 3.1.1 target is less than 70 per 100,000 live births).
• The neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria is 29 deaths per 1,000 live births (SDG 3.21 target is 12 per 1,000 live births).
• Maternal undernutrition affects 21% of women of reproductive age in Nigeria and anaemia affects more than 60% of pregnant women.
• The use of digitised patient records has been reported in 3 states in Nigeria, but these systems need to be interoperable to ensure seamless care.

Sources:

• World Health Organisation (WHO)
• Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria
• National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)
• Nigeria Health Watch
• AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)