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Nigeria’s Ministry of Health has initiated a program to offer complimentary cesarean sections for low-income and at-risk women nationwide.
This program, named the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), was introduced by the ministry during the Joint Annual Health Review (JAR) in Abuja.
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, characterised the initiative as a significant pledge to lower maternal and newborn mortality rates throughout Nigeria.
He noted that a key aspect of this initiative is its coverage of services rendered by public and private healthcare facilities approved by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The minister pointed out that maternal mortality rates are still alarmingly high, with 172 local governments accounting for over half of maternal fatalities.
He is confident that by concentrating resources in these high-need areas, MAMII will effectively tackle the most pressing issues, adding that the NHIA, in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and State Health Insurance Agencies (SHIAs), will oversee the reimbursement process, ensuring that service providers in both sectors can offer these vital services sustainably.
Prof. Pate also stressed the essential role of community health workers in this effort, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s initiative to recruit an additional 120,000 health workers to enhance primary care across Nigeria.
