Abuja: The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has inaugurated a task force under the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) to coordinate efforts aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths across communities. The FCT Mandate Secretary, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, emphasized that the task force would remain operational as long as women continued giving birth in the territory.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the task force will oversee interventions targeting pregnant women, health facilities, communities, traditional leaders, and transport workers involved in the emergency movement of pregnant women requiring urgent care. Dr. Fasawe charged members to utilize the MAMII document to develop work plans and hold government officials and the national coordinator accountable for implementing agreed interventions across the territory. MAMII and its partners are committed to supporting the FCT in ensuring maternal mortality becomes a thing of the past through sustained interventions.
The initiative aims to improve access to quality maternal and newborn healthcare services, strengthen referral and emergency response systems, and implement interventions tailored to local realities. Dr. Dan Gadanma, Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, noted that the task force’s activation followed Dr. Fasawe’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of women and children. Although initially excluded from MAMII due to a comparatively lower maternal mortality rate, Dr. Fasawe argued that even one maternal death was unacceptable, leading to the territory’s inclusion.
Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, the National Coordinator of MAMII, highlighted that the FCT became the 34th state to join the initiative, which focuses on reducing maternal mortality. The initiative has been activated in states accounting for about 65 percent of Nigeria’s maternal mortality burden, with Federal Government support. MAMII has helped states identify drivers of maternal and newborn deaths, develop response plans, and inaugurate task forces to coordinate interventions and improve health outcomes. Interventions have contributed to a 17 percent reduction in maternal mortality in less than two years.
Field assessments identified delays in accessing care, socio-cultural barriers, transportation challenges, financial constraints, and inadequate awareness as key contributing factors. Dr. Adeyanju urged pregnant women to complete antenatal care and deliver in appropriate health facilities. He also encouraged residents to enroll in health insurance schemes, enabling eligible women to access Caesarean sections without direct payment. Emergency transportation services and social assistance mechanisms are available to support vulnerable women and families facing healthcare-related challenges during pregnancy and childbirth.
A beneficiary of the initiative, Mrs. Augustina Kalu, shared her experience, stating that MAMII assisted her family in settling hospital bills after she developed complications following childbirth. She expressed gratitude for the unexpected assistance, which relieved her family of financial burdens. Kalu prayed for continued strength and resources for individuals and organizations supporting vulnerable women and families to access quality healthcare services when needed most.