There is something deeply painful about a country where women still lose their lives while giving life, and even more heartbreaking when the victims are sometimes healthcare professionals themselves. Not just any professional, but those trained and specialised in the very area niched to care for this delicate population.
In Nigeria today, far too many pregnant women still struggle to access safe, timely, and quality maternal care. Some delay seeking help because they cannot afford it. Others are failed by weak health systems, poor emergency response, misinformation, or the simple reality of being born or located too far from basic quality healthcare and lifesaving services.
Behind every maternal death is not just a statistic, but a child without a mother, a family permanently altered, an asset lost, and a system that failed someone who deserved better.
This is why the 6th Maternal Health & Rights Summit by Safer Hands Health Initiative (SHI) comes at such a critical time. At a period where Nigeria continues to battle alarming maternal and child health outcomes; conversations around community-based solutions, technology-driven care, equitable healthcare access, women’s rights, and stronger health systems are no longer optional, they are urgent.
The future of maternal health in Nigeria will not depend on hospitals or healthcare providers alone. It will depend on collaboration, innovation, advocacy, and intentional investment in women’s health by all involved stakeholders and decision makers at every level across board.
Platforms like this summit remind us that maternal health is not just a “medical” issue; but a human, social, and community issue as well. And until every woman can go through pregnancy and childbirth safely, the work – for all of us – is far from done. Every mother deserves the chance to survive.
See you at this year’s Maternal Health & Rights Summit. Attendance is free, but registration is compulsory. Register here and share with colleagues: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Editor’s note:
Article written by Edobor Faith Abayemotu – a passionate 5th‑year medical student committed to advancing reproductive health and community wellbeing. Through UNFPA campaigns, Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) outreaches, and national student leadership, she champions youth empowerment, women’s rights, and equitable healthcare access, earning national recognition for her impact.
