Nkechinyere Ewa
In a renewed effort to reduce maternal deaths, the Ebonyi State Government has partnered with the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) and development partners to champion the message: “No woman should die while bringing forth a new life.”
Speaking during a one day training for AIM-MNCH champions in Abakaliki, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, represented by Dr. Hyacinth Ebenyi the director public health and disease Control in the Ministry, commended MWAN for supporting government efforts to improve maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) in the state. He said Ebonyi had recorded a significant drop in maternal mortality through sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, personnel, and awareness creation.
“Before this administration, the rate of maternal mortality in Ebonyi was very high over 900 deaths annually. Today, it has reduced to about 420,” Dr. Ebenyi stated. “This progress came through better-equipped hospitals, skilled health workers, and continuous sensitization of our people.”
He explained that the state government had renovated and equipped all 13 general hospitals, ensuring access to quality healthcare for pregnant women across communities. However, he noted that some expectant mothers still rely on traditional birth attendants, a trend that continues to endanger lives.
“Our people must embrace hospital delivery. We are even considering incentivizing traditional birth attendants to refer women to health facilities rather than conducting deliveries at home,” he added.
Dr. Ebenyi emphasized that the government’s financial support scheme, EBSHIA, enables pregnant women to access medical care without worrying about cost.
Speaking further, the Commissioner for Health identified some of the major MNCH challenges in the state, including high adolescent pregnancy rates, poor family planning, weak data collection, and limited access to skilled care in rural areas. He said the partnership with MWAN would help bridge these gaps through training, advocacy, and data-driven interventions.
The event featured presentations by partners including Oluyemi Abodunrin of the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), who spoke on Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC), and Dr. Olufemi Ibitoye of Pathfinder International, who discussed the SMART Advocacy Approach both aimed at strengthening community awareness and action.
Immediate Past President of MWAN Ebonyi and Team Lead for the AIM-MNCH project, Dr. Lilian Ndidiamaka Nwaobshi, explained that Nigeria contributes about 25 percent of global maternal deaths, a figure that demands urgent action.
“For every four women who die during childbirth worldwide, one is a Nigerian. These figures are unacceptable,” she said. “We are training community champions faith leaders, traditional rulers, and media practitioners who can reach the people directly with life-saving information.”
Dr. Nwaobshi noted that the training will extend to general hospitals and secondary health facilities where frontline health workers interact daily with pregnant women and children.
A foremost traditional ruler in the state, HRH Sunday Oketa, appreciated MWAN and its partners for taking the lead in the fight against maternal mortality. He pledged to include advocacy on the need for pregnant women to patronize government-approved health centers in his cabinet activities and to extend the message to the Ebonyi State Traditional Rulers Council.
As the partnership deepens, MWAN, partners, and the Ebonyi State Government reaffirmed their shared vision that no woman should die while giving life, and that every child born in Ebonyi should have the opportunity to thrive.