Maternal Health and the Implications for Sustainable Transformation in Nigeria

Abstract

Transformation is the major goal of the present democratic administration in Nigeria. No country ever achieves sustainable transformation without achieving maternal health. Maternal health is a major concern of all countries, especially in developing countries. This explains why Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) made maternal health one of the cardinal goals to be achieved by 2015. This paper examines the factors that brought about poor maternal health by critically identifying and discussing such factors as poverty, low level of education, inaccessibility of health care services, unbooked emergencies, hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, obstructed labour, anaemia, haemorrhage and infection. Guided by functionalist and political economy theories, the paper argued that the present maternal health is incapable of ensuring sustainable transformation in Nigeria owing to massive corruption, misplacement of priority, neo-liberal policies of government, leading to social and economic dislocation of families and widespread poverty. The paper concludes by arguing that, for there to be real sustainable transformation of Nigeria, the issue of maternal health should be accorded priority through reducing maternal mortality rate by government and other stakeholders. This could be achieved through massive enlightenment, sustainable education, poverty reduction, and adequate provision and funding of healthcare facilities in Nigeria.

Keywords: Maternal health, MDGs, Maternal Mortality, Sustainable transformation, Poverty