By Dele Anofi and Haggai Daniel, Abuja
The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality, revealing that Nigeria has recorded a 17 percent decline in deaths among women during childbirth.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said that though the progress is not enough considering the country’s population, it is a remarkable improvement in the quest to eradicate the scourge.
“In the last two years, there have been some signs of early improvement, but a lot more is ahead of us. Maternal mortality rate in most of our local government areas has reduced by 17 percent, according to recent data, and newborn deaths have also dropped by 10 percent.
“But that’s not enough considering the size of our country and the depth of our problem,” he said.
Pate spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during the unveiling of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s (NAFDAC) three major initiatives aimed at improving nutrition, strengthening public health systems, and combating substandard and falsified medicines.
According to Pate, recent data from 172 local government areas show a 17 percent decline in maternal mortality and a 10 percent reduction in newborn deaths over the past two years.
While describing the improvement as encouraging, he cautioned that much more needs to be done given Nigeria’s population size and persistent health challenges.
Pate identified malnutrition as a major contributor to child deaths, noting that the new Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative would ensure pregnant women, newborns, and young children have access to essential nutrition and health products.
“This effort will contribute to improving maternal and child survival because families will have access to quality products when they need them,” he said.
He also commended the launch of the National Action Plan on the Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, describing it as crucial to safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
According to him, substandard medicines fuel antimicrobial resistance, undermine public confidence, and cost lives.
Pate praised NAFDAC for maintaining the World Health Organization’s Maturity Level 3 regulatory status, which confirms Nigeria’s strong oversight capacity for medical product quality.
He stressed that improving health outcomes requires collective effort from government, development partners, the private sector, professional bodies, and communities.
Hon. Regina Akume, Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on NAFDAC, described the launch as a milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to enhance maternal and child health and nutrition.
“This renewed focus is both timely and essential as it reinforces our national commitment to safeguarding mothers and children, ensuring that every pregnancy is safe, every child is healthy, and every family can thrive,” she said.
Akume commended NAFDAC for establishing the Office for Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), which she said will serve as a platform for promoting inclusive health policies and coordinating programmes addressing the needs of women and children.
She also lauded the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products as a strategic framework that will ensure only safe and effective medical products reach Nigerians.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, represented by Omotayo Hamzat, Supply Chain Management Officer at UNICEF Nigeria, described NAFDAC’s initiatives as evidence of the agency’s “unwavering commitment to safeguarding the health of Nigerians.”
Hamzat said the action plan would strengthen interagency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and rapid response mechanisms to ensure every medicine and vaccine in circulation meets quality and safety standards.
“Protecting mothers and children is not only a moral imperative but the foundation of national development,” he said, commending NAFDAC’s leadership and partnership with WHO and other development agencies.
Mrs. Rodio Diallo of the Gates Foundation also applauded the initiative, describing it as vital to protecting the health and well-being of women and newborns.
Warning that substandard medicines undermine public trust and can turn preventable conditions into fatal outcomes, Diallo said, “Each year, Nigeria loses thousands of women to pregnancy-related causes.
“Behind these figures are families and communities irreversibly changed by preventable losses. Every medicine that reaches a mother’s hand should heal, protect, and save.
“Safeguarding the quality, safety, and efficacy of maternal and newborn health commodities is synonymous with safeguarding lives.”
Earlier, NAFDAC Director General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the three initiatives mark a defining moment in Nigeria’s health sector, particularly for women and children who remain the most vulnerable.
The MNCH+N Initiative, the Office for Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), and the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027), she explained, are interconnected pillars designed to strengthen regulation, enhance nutrition, and promote maternal and child safety.
“These efforts reflect NAFDAC’s vision, a vision where no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is harmed by falsified medical products,” Adeyeye said.
She called for stronger collaboration among development partners, private sector actors, and civil society to ensure that access to safe medicines, adequate nutrition, and quality healthcare becomes a guaranteed right for every Nigerian.
