Nigerian commission to hold national dialogue on maternal care

Bem Angwe, the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has announced the preparedness of the commission to convene a national dialogue on maternal care as a way of extending NHRC's mandate to maternal and child health care.

 

He said the commission is worried about the current high rates of maternal and infant mortality across Nigeria which is why it is convening a national dialogue on Respectful Maternal Care.
The commission added that at the dialogue, critical stakeholders will map out strategies for the implementation of Respectful Maternal Care in all spheres of the country.

Currently, Nigeria is one of the countries in the world with high maternal and infant death rates with a ratio of 545-630 per 100,000 live births on the maternal mortality index and 75 per 1,000 live births on the infant mortality index, according to the United Nations, UN.

Receiving a team of delegates from the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood in Nigeria, WRAN, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Bem Angwe, said the commission is willing to consider issues surrounding maternal and child health care in Nigeria. Some of the issues include detention of women with their babies in health facilities as a result of non-payment of the medical fees, among others.

Mr. Angwe said WRAN’s visit to the commission signals the beginning of a strategic partnership that will culminate in the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding to spell out a working relationship for the implementation of respectful Maternity Care in Nigeria.

The National Coordinator of WRAN, Tonte Ibraye, commended the NHRC for their support and presented the recommendations of the Respectful Maternity Care charter created by her agency.