The Federal Government has reported a 60 per cent reduction in maternal case fatality rates at healthcare facilities supported by its Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), highlighting progress in efforts to improve maternal and newborn healthcare in Nigeria.

The development was disclosed during the 2026 Nigeria Health Sector Joint Annual Review held in Abuja, where government officials presented updates on healthcare reforms and their impact across the country.

According to the National Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office, Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, the maternal case fatality rate in supported facilities declined from 80.5 in 2024 to 31.9 by September 2026.

He explained that the reported improvement followed several interventions aimed at strengthening healthcare financing, improving hospital facilities, expanding access to skilled birth attendants and ensuring that pregnant women receive timely medical attention.

The findings covered 8,309 healthcare facilities supported by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

Government Highlights Progress in Maternal Healthcare

Umar-Sadiq said the reduction exceeded the government’s initial target of achieving a 30 per cent decline in facility-based maternal deaths.

He attributed the improvement to coordinated efforts to make healthcare services more accessible, particularly for women living in underserved communities.

The government has also introduced measures to improve emergency referrals, provide essential medical supplies and strengthen transportation arrangements for pregnant women who require urgent medical attention.

Under the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, more communities are being connected to functional healthcare facilities to reduce delays in receiving medical treatment.

The government says these interventions are helping more women access antenatal care, skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric services.

Thousands of Women Have Benefited From Healthcare Interventions

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, also highlighted improvements in maternal healthcare during the review.

He disclosed that 19,758 skilled birth attendants had been recruited across 22 states, while 78,054 frontline health workers had received training.

The minister further revealed that skilled deliveries in supported facilities increased from 4.8 million in 2023 to 7.9 million by the second quarter of 2026.

The government also reported that emergency transportation services had transported more than 104,000 women and newborns across participating local government areas.

In addition, nearly 100,000 emergency obstetric and newborn healthcare services had been delivered under the government’s free emergency care programme, including more than 80,000 caesarean sections.

These services are intended to reduce the financial difficulties that prevent some pregnant women from accessing urgent medical treatment.

Challenges Remain Despite Reported Improvements

Despite the reported progress, maternal healthcare remains a major challenge in Nigeria.

Health officials acknowledged that shortages of skilled medical personnel, inadequate emergency obstetric facilities and weaknesses in healthcare data management continue to affect service delivery.

There are also concerns about ensuring that improvements recorded in supported facilities extend to other parts of the country.

The government has therefore emphasised the need for sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure, recruitment and retention of skilled medical workers, and stronger collaboration between federal and state governments.

The 2026 Joint Annual Review is expected to help health stakeholders assess the progress of ongoing reforms and identify areas requiring additional attention.

Why the Development Matters

Maternal healthcare is an important public health issue because preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth continue to put the lives of women and newborns at risk.

Improving access to skilled birth attendants, emergency medical transportation and properly equipped healthcare facilities can help prevent avoidable deaths.

Although the reported reduction is encouraging, maintaining the progress and extending quality maternal healthcare to more communities will remain essential to improving health outcomes across Nigeria.