The Rotary E-Club of Omole Golden Impact, Rotary Internationa District 9111, held a special club fellowship on Maternal and Child Health, honoured by the presence of PDG Adeniji Raji, mni, as Guest Speaker.
The session was highly enlightening, practical, and thought-provoking, as it brought renewed attention to the urgent need for sustained action in reducing preventable maternal and child deaths in Nigeria.
In his presentation and the discussions that followed, the club reflected on the troubling burden of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria, noting that the country accounts for a significant proportion of global maternal deaths, with many women still dying annually from
preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. Child mortality also remains a major concern, with under-five and infant mortality rates still unacceptably high.
The meeting identified several major issues contributing to poor maternal and child health outcomes, including low antenatal attendance, risky pregnancies, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, malnutrition, malaria, poor transportation, weak referral systems,
poor data management, myths around family planning, and lack of community awareness.
Particular emphasis was placed on the three critical delays that often lead to preventable deaths: delay in deciding to seek healthcare, delay in reaching a health facility, and delay in receiving adequate care upon arrival at the facility.
The meeting also recognised that many Primary Health Centres remain under-equipped and under-resourced, lacking basic medical equipment, adequate bed space, clean water, reliable electricity, blood bank support, baby scales, and functional delivery or operating facilities.
Participants noted that these gaps weaken the ability of frontline health facilities to
