Abuja: The National Health Facility Survey (NHFS) 2025 has revealed a significant improvement in antenatal care services across Nigeria, with 81.6% of public health facilities now offering these services. This marks an increase from the 79.7% recorded in 2023.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the survey, released by the National Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, highlights that secondary health facilities have a higher availability of antenatal care services at 92.6%, compared to 81.1% in primary health facilities. Despite these improvements, the report identifies persistent gaps in critical maternal, newborn, and child health interventions nationwide.
The survey further notes that coverage of essential antenatal interventions remains high, with 92.2% of facilities providing folic acid, 88.9% offering intermittent preventive treatment, and 94.0% administering tetanus toxoid immunisation. However, only 30.9% of facilities provide antiretroviral services as part of antenatal care, while 84.2% offer HIV testing services to pregnant women.
Family planning counselling during antenatal care is widely available, with 91.9% of health facilities providing the service. However, there is low availability of family planning commodities, with only 19.4% of facilities having pills, 21.1% injectables, 20.2% male condoms, and 21.5% implants.
In terms of immunisation services, the survey reports moderate availability of vaccines, with coverage around 50% for most antigens in public health facilities. Measles vaccine coverage is at 52.7%, pentavalent at 51.8%, oral polio at 52.4%, BCG at 51.7%, and yellow fever at 51.8%. The availability of other vaccines like rotavirus, pneumococcal, inactivated polio, human papillomavirus, and meningitis also hover around the 50% mark.
On the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the report reveals a decline in clinical staff’s knowledge of protocols to 68.6% in 2025 from 76.3% in 2023. While 95.5% of health workers recognize the need to test pregnant women for HIV, knowledge gaps persist in partner testing at 55.9%.
The survey also shows that 70.1% of public health facilities offer delivery and postnatal care services, with secondary facilities at 92.4% and primary facilities at 68.9%. There is an uneven availability of essential delivery commodities, with only 57.7% of facilities having oxytocin, 37.8% magnesium sulphate, and 37.2% infant resuscitation equipment. Only 18.6% of public health facilities provide postnatal care services, highlighting significant gaps in care for mothers and newborns post-delivery.
On child health and nutrition, 60.0% of public facilities offer growth monitoring services, while 44.6% provide treatment for malnutrition. The availability of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness guidelines is low at 31.1%, with disparities across regions and states.
The report indicates improvement in participation in Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, with 62.0% of facilities participating in 2025 compared to 57.9% in 2023. The findings aim to guide policy decisions and resource allocation to improve healthcare delivery nationwide.
The survey covered 3,330 health facilities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including public primary, secondary, and private facilities, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria’s healthcare service delivery. (www.nannews.ng)