By Oluwakemi Oladipo
Lagos – A medical researcher, Dr Bamidele Iwalokun, on Tuesday advised expectant mothers to always seek appropriate healthcare services during pregnancy to reduce maternal deaths in Nigeria.
Iwalokun, also the Head, Immunology and Vaccinology Research Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
The medical researcher said that every woman needs good maternal healthcare services to avoid major causes of maternal deaths in the country.
According to him, currently, the major causes of maternal deaths are bleeding after child birth, infections after child birth, unsafe abortion, malaria and AIDS during pregnancy.
“Three tiers of government need to improve our current 3.7 per cent health expenditure per the total annual budget.
“This is ridiculously low for a country that bears 10 per cent of the global maternal health burden.
“To maximise the maternal health benefits associated with increased health expenditure, monitoring and evaluation of health spending for accountability is key.
“Governments should have zero tolerance for corruption in the health sector,” he said.
Iwalokun said that all the faith-based organisations providing ante-natal care services should be listed by governments as referral centres to primary healthcare centres.
“This will further reduce delivery and maternal deaths at the traditional birth attendants.
“Research into the barriers affecting maternal healthcare services is also very important.
“Maternal healthcare services should be made operational based on the research evidence that supports them,” he said.
