Wednesday, December 17th, 9am-11am ET
The Wilson Center’s Maternal Health Initiative, in partnership with UNFPA and the Maternal Health Task Force, is heading to Abuja, Nigeria, to co-host a two-day workshop from December 16-17 with the Centre for Population and Reproductive Health. On December 17, Nigerian policymakers, community health workers, program managers, and donors will join us in a discussion about what’s needed to improve maternal health systems in a live video conference.
Over the last decade, Nigeria has seen only modest improvements in maternal health. Despite innovative efforts such as the Midwives Service Scheme, SURE-P, and Saving One Million Lives, maternal mortality rates stand at 565 per 100,000 live births and modern contraceptive prevalence is just 10 percent. Advocacy for national political commitment has been ongoing and there have been efforts to improve provision for entitlements, expand infrastructure, and increase access to drugs, but the scale of the country makes progress difficult.
With renewed commitment and concerted action, it’s possible for Nigeria to reach the goal of universal maternal health coverage, say Nigerian maternal health experts, but doing so will require focus on key areas of an unfinished agenda, including a strategic road-map to acquire universal access, and examination of critical policy issues and recommendations.
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On December 17th, join the conversation on Twitter by using hashtag #mhdialogueNG and following @MHTF and @NewSecurityBeat. RSVP or watch the live stream on the Wilson Center website.