Health experts have called for sustainable financing strategies to expand maternal and child health interventions in Nigeria, warning that the country risks stagnation without urgent reforms and coordinated action.
The call was made on Monday during a webinar organized by Development Governance International Consult, DGI Consult.
It had as its theme: “Financing Maternal and Child Death-Crashing Interventions: Achieving Scale, Scope and Sustainability for Impact.”
The session explored financing options to strengthen the government’s Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives, MAMII.
Chief Executive Officer of DGI Consult, Dr Gafar Alawode, noted that for two decades Nigeria’s efforts had been fragmented and “siloed, addressing pieces instead of the whole.”
According to him, MAMII initiative seeks to bridge gaps through integrated, large-scale approaches.
Prof. Charles Ameh of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine observed that Nigeria had “stagnated in the very high mortality phase for two decades.”
Ameh urged greater investments, equitable distribution of the health workforce, and adoption of digital innovations.
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Also speaking, Lead of the MAMII Initiative, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, explained that the programme targeted 172 local government areas that accounted for over half of maternal deaths in the country.
According to him, strategies include health insurance enrolment, improved emergency obstetric care, integration of traditional birth attendants into referral systems, and the use of community emergency transport backed by digital platforms.
“This ensures quick responses to complications and saving more mothers’ and children’s lives, “he said.
On his part, Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, highlighted lessons from governance reforms in his state, including health insurance expansion, supply chain strengthening, and routine data-driven reviews.
Filani urged the replication of such successful strategies across other Nigerian states.
Also contributing, Dr Olufunke Fasawe of the Clinton Health Access Initiative emphasized the need for integrated approaches that combine skilled workforce training with broader system-wide interventions to reduce maternal and child deaths.
UNICEF’s representative, Dr Sachin Bhokare stressed the need to strengthening government capacity for planning, budgeting, and tracking health spending.
He called for the integration of child health into national budgets as a priority.
According to him, sustainable financing should focus on expanding health insurance coverage for poor households, while ensuring accountability and transparency in expenditure.
“Health investments are crucial to preventing maternal and child deaths nationwide,” Bhokare said.
In his remarks, Chief Moji Makanjuola, Chair of the Nigeria Universal Health Coverage Forum, said Civil Service Organizations amplified community voices and demanded accountability for improved maternal and child survival.
“Citizen engagement is critical in making health a political priority, stressing that communities must be included in decision-making to ensure policies reflect people’s real healthcare needs, “he said.
It ended with a call for Nigeria to embrace sustainable financing, strengthen governance, and scale up proven strategies, stressing the urgency of reducing preventable maternal and child deaths nationwide.
Participants emphasized that maternal health affects everyone, and only through coordinated, well-financed, and accountable interventions can the country achieve measurable progress.
NAN
