Anambra has recorded 20 maternal deaths from nine healthcare facilities across the state between January and June 2022.
Dr Obianuju Okoye, the stateโs Reproductive Health Coordinator, made the disclosure at the first maternalortality review meeting, on Tuesday, in Awka.
Okoye said that the state established an electronic platform where hospitals in the state could record data on maternal deaths.
โFrom the reports on our e-platform, the state recorded 20 deaths from nine hospitals between January and June, mostly from hard to reach areas.
โThis review meeting will help the state government to know where the problems are coming from and how to collectively address them,โ she said.
Also speaking, Dr Chinomnso Nnebu, Consultant, Community Physician, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), lamented that many pregnant women go to deliver at faith-based organisations instead of the hospitals.
โSome faith-based organisations will keep pregnant women and be praying for them instead of advising them to go to the hospital. Faith works but faith without work is dead.
โWe need to educate pregnant women to stop giving birth in prayer houses because they cannot manage pregnancy complications, โ he said.
Dr George Eleje, Head of Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NAUTH, urged pregnant women to register early for antenatal to prevent complications and maternal deaths.
According to him, antenatal care makes pregnancy safe and helps the woman prepared for an uneventful labour and also for a good pregnancy outcome.
In his remarks, Dr Afam Obidike, the stateโs Commissioner for Health, said that the meeting was to review causes of maternal deaths in the state and proffer solutions to put an end to deaths.
Obidike described maternal mortality or pregnancy related death as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within one year of pregnancy.
He said that Gov. Charles Soludoโs led-administration was adopting a holistic approach to end maternal mortality, in partnership with the private healthcare sector which offered 70 per cent of health services.
โThere are cases where a pregnant woman go to primary healthcare centres and when things become difficult, there is no where else to go. Hence we are working on strengthening the referral system too.
โIf we put things right, we are ensuring the safety of the next woman that will deliver. Gradually we will reduce maternal mortality rate as much as possible in the state,โ Obidike said.