WHO, Gates Foundation Back New Push to Save Mothers, Newborns in Nigeria

Stakeholders have called for stronger investment, quality healthcare, and sustainable domestic financing to help reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Assembly made the call at the national inauguration of the Incentives to Increase Maternal and Newborn Care Services Utilisation (INSEMN) initiative, held at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

The calls come as Nigeria continues to grapple with a high burden of maternal and newborn mortality, with evidence showing that demand-side measures — such as financial incentives — prove most effective when paired with skilled health workers, functional facilities, reliable medical commodities, and strong referral systems.

The INSEMN initiative aims to encourage pregnant women to access antenatal, skilled delivery, and postnatal services through incentives such as Mama Kits, bags, and essential newborn items.

WHO Stresses Quality Must Match Access

WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, said such incentives could encourage families to seek essential maternal and newborn services, but stressed that increased facility attendance must be matched with quality care. He noted that women must be able to access safe, respectful, and timely services upon arrival at health facilities — supported by trained health workers, essential medicines and supplies, and functional referral systems.

Ursu described primary healthcare as central to the initiative's success, noting that it brings lifesaving services closer to families, builds trust, and connects communities to the wider health system. According to him, a strong primary healthcare foundation is essential for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and sustaining long-term improvements in maternal and newborn health outcomes.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that no woman is left behind — particularly those in rural communities, adolescent girls, women living in poverty, and families in underserved areas — stressing that national progress must reach every state, local government area, and community. He added that data should be used to identify who is being reached and where interventions are most urgently needed, while also calling for regular reviews of maternal and perinatal deaths, with lessons from such reviews acted upon swiftly.

Ursu further emphasised the importance of state and local ownership, alongside sustainable domestic financing, arguing that lasting progress must be rooted in Nigerian institutions, ownership, and accountability. He commended Nigerian health workers for their dedication, describing their service as heroic and calling for greater investment and support for the healthcare workforce.

Gates Foundation: Success Measured by Lives Saved

Similarly, Dr Uche Amaonwu, Nigeria Country Director of the Gates Foundation, said the ultimate measure of the initiative's success should be whether more mothers and babies survive, and whether fewer deaths from preventable causes are recorded.

Amaonwu explained that the initiative holds significance because it encourages pregnant women to attend antenatal care, deliver safely with skilled birth attendants, and receive the care they and their newborns need. He noted that the Mama Kits, bags, and newborn items being introduced under the programme would help incentivise women to utilise health facilities and access essential services.

He said improving maternal and newborn health remains central to the Gates Foundation's mission, adding that one of its core aspirations is ensuring that no mother or child dies from a preventable cause. He pledged the foundation's continued collaboration with the Nigerian government and other partners in pursuit of that goal.

Senate Highlights Domestic Financing Efforts

On the financing front, Sen. Ipalibo Banigo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), said sustainable domestic financing remains essential to strengthening primary healthcare and improving overall health outcomes.

Banigo noted that the National Health Insurance Act had established a Vulnerable Group Fund aimed at providing health insurance coverage for children under five, pregnant women, internally displaced persons, persons with disabilities, and retirees. She said budgetary provisions had been made for the fund in both 2023 and 2024, describing it as an important step toward expanding financial protection for vulnerable Nigerians.

The senator further disclosed that members of the 10th National Assembly have pursued measures to strengthen sustainable domestic health financing, including a proposal to raise the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) allocation from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. According to her, increased funding would strengthen financing for primary healthcare, disease control, health insurance, and emergency health services.

She also referenced ongoing efforts to amend the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage-related legislation and the Customs and Excise framework, aimed at generating additional resources for the screening, treatment, and prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Banigo stressed that for health financing to yield meaningful results, funds must not only be appropriated but also released, disbursed, accounted for, and closely monitored. She pledged the Senate Committee on Health's commitment to following up on the utilisation of health funds to ensure they translate into improved services and better outcomes for Nigerians, adding that the ongoing reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda for Health are designed to improve the health and wellbeing of Nigerians, save lives, and strengthen public confidence in the health system.

All three speakers agreed on the need to move beyond simply increasing the number of women accessing health facilities, toward ensuring that the services they receive are timely, affordable, safe, and of good quality.