The Founder and Host of “Mom of Boys Nigeria & Maternal Health Initiative,” Sandra Uzodimma Adewoye, is tackling the critical and urgent issue of maternal healthcare, particularly in Africa. As the initiator of this brave venture, she seeks to alleviate the dangers mothers face during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum – a period considered to end within six weeks after childbirth.
Maternal health embodies the overall wellness of women during their pregnancy journey from conception to post childbirth. Sadly, many challenges such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure, poverty, and limited access to healthcare services plague the maternal health scene, particularly in developing countries.
According to World Health Organization data from 2020, approximately 287,000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth, indicating a clear urgency for collective action. Maternal mortality is not a localized issue; countries like Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Tanzania have substantial work ahead in preventing these deaths and improving conditions for mothers.
An estimate of 300,000 women died from pregnancy-related issues in 2017, as per WHO, which equals an average death of 808 women every day. As of 2020, South Sudan, Chad, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Somalia were listed as the countries with the highest risk of women dying during pregnancy. Many of these deaths can be attributed to excessive blood loss during various stages of the pregnancy and childbirth, infections from unsterilized objects and medical equipment, unsafe abortion conditions, lack of medical expertise, and inadequate surgical facilities.
However, these death causes suggest that a significant number of maternal deaths are preventable given adequate attention, care, and healthcare provision.
Maternal healthcare in Africa presents more substantial challenges due to regional underdevelopment, negligence, and failure to meet Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reports that 57% of all maternal deaths occur in Africa. Similarly, studies indicate that maternal mortality is about three to four times higher for black women than it is for white women.
Poverty on both individual and national levels plays a significant role in the decline in maternal healthcare across Africa. The continued negligence of all parties involved in promoting maternal health further exacerbates the issue, leading to severe health complications like postpartum depression and anxiety, baby blues, placenta previa and abruption, miscarriage, and more.
Despite these challenges, there is light at the end of the tunnel. According to the UNFPA, Africa reduced maternal deaths by 41% between 1990 and 2010. These figures indicate the effectiveness of focused efforts and offer hope for the future.
Sandra Uzodimma’s initiative emphasizes that everyone has a role in addressing maternal health issues, advocating for public enlightenment, discouraging negative habits, and promoting education on early warning signs of maternal health issues. She also calls for affordable, regular medical checkups for pregnant women, proper certification of healthcare facilities, and the provision of up-to-date equipment.
Maternal health is indeed everyone’s concern. As Sandra Uzodimma rightly puts it, “one of the joys of motherhood is to bring to life and enjoy the presence of the baby and not lose one’s life in an attempt to create one.” By working together, societies can ensure safer environments for mothers everywhere.
Sandra Uzodimma Adewoye
Host & Founder: Mom of Boys Nigeria & Maternal Health Initiative
