Nigeria announces free emergency caesarean sections for ‘poor and vulnerable groups’ Women have set out an ambitious plan to reduce the number of mothers dying in childbirth.
With 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births, Africa’s most populous country has the fourth-highest maternal mortality rate in the world, and a lack of caesarean sections is thought to be one of the reasons.
Many pregnant women, especially in rural Nigeria, lack access to emergency medical care in part due to cost.
“No woman should have to lose her life simply because she cannot afford a caesarean section,” Health Minister Mohamed Pate said in announcing the “powerful step”.
While prices may vary across different states in Nigeria, on average a caesarean section costs around 60,000 naira ($36; £28), which may be beyond the reach of many.
According to 2023 data from the Nigeria National Bureau of Statistics, more than 40% of Nigerians live below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day.
An innovative program to reduce maternal mortality launched on Thursday will now allow all eligible women to have caesarean sections in public hospitals.
To become a beneficiary, one must be registered under the country’s public health insurance scheme.
“By removing financial barriers to this life-saving procedure, we ensure that no woman in need is denied critical care due to cost,” Pate added.
Tashikalmah Hallah, communications adviser to the health minister, told the BBC the health scheme only covers emergencies.
Mr Hara added that social welfare departments at public hospitals will help determine eligibility and identify those who cannot afford the surgery.
Pate said maternal mortality rates remained “unacceptably high”.
C-sections are considered crucial in preventing dystocia in cases where the woman’s pelvis is too small and the baby is in a breech position or is too large to pass out of the birth canal.
Without intervention, a constricted baby may suffer from a fatal uterine rupture or tearing, leading to catastrophic hemorrhage.
The World Bank’s Trina Harker, while expressing support for the new initiative, described it as a “game changer”.
“If implemented correctly, this measure will bear fruit. We are here to support every step of the way,” said Kazadi Mulombo, WHO country representative.
Causes of maternal death include severe bleeding, high blood pressure (preeclampsia and eclampsia), unsafe abortion, and obstructed or prolonged labour.
Rhoda Robinson, executive director of HACEY, an NGO that advocates for providing medical services to disadvantaged groups in Nigeria, said the new policy will “improve maternal and child health in the country.”
“Particularly for women from low-income communities, they may seek alternative and often unsafe care options,” she told the BBC.
Mabel Onwemena, country coordinator of Women’s Purpose Foundation, another NGO advocating for better maternal health in Africa, praised the initiative and urged the Nigerian government to expand it to provide free medicines and ultrasound examinations to pregnant women.
