HEALTH NEWS: Nigerian Gynecologists urge FG to help reduce Maternal Mortality...!

The Chairman, Lagos State chapter of the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetrics of Nigeria, Dr. Olurotimi Akinola, has called on the Federal Government to adopt measures that will aid the World Health Organisation meet its maternal death reduction target by 2015.

WHO in the Millennium Development Goal hopes to reduce child mortality in the world by 75 per cent in 2015.

Akinola made this call at a briefing to highlight programmes for SOGON's forthcoming 47th Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

He lamented that Nigeria had one of the highest maternal death rates in the world, describing the current rate of 545 deaths per 100,000 live births as unacceptable.

Akinola said, "The Millennium Development Goal is for the reduction of maternal mortality by 75 per cent in 2015. For us to achieve this, the nation must achieve the maternal mortality of less than 250 women by 100, 000 life birth. Right now, we are boasting of 545 women by 100, 000 life birth.

"We are hoping that since we adopted maternal death review, even if we do not get there, we will not be too far away from getting there. If we had adopted maternal mortality review 10 years ago, our maternal mortality rate would have reduced.

"We hope that since we have adopted the maternal death review, there will be reduction."

Akinola, however,  called on government at all levels to embark on maternal death review to know the circumstances surrounding mothers' death.

He noted that the establishment of  functional primary health centres would reduce death during birth.

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