The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concern over Nigeria’s worsening maternal mortality rate, revealing that a woman dies every seven minutes during childbirth in the country.
This was disclosed by the UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Francis Busiku Butichi, who disclosed this on Friday during the symbolic handover of WASHFIT supplies to health facilities in Borno State.
Butichi attributed the high rate of maternal deaths to poor hygiene conditions, weak infection prevention systems, and unsafe environments in many health facilities across the country.
He said healthcare facilities, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected areas, remain the first line of defense against disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.
According to him, the WASHFIT initiative was introduced to strengthen infection prevention and control, improve access to safe water, promote hygiene practices, and enhance healthcare waste management in health facilities.
“WASHFIT supports health facilities to strengthen infection prevention and control, improve access to safe and reliable water, promote hygiene practices, and enhance healthcare waste management,” Butichi said.
He explained that the programme is designed to address critical gaps in water, sanitation, hygiene, and infection prevention standards across health facilities.
The UNICEF official further stressed that improving healthcare environments would lead to safer childbirth experiences, better service delivery, and improved working conditions for health workers.
Butichi also reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the Borno State government in strengthening the healthcare system and improving the well-being of women and children in the state.
The intervention comes amid growing concern over Nigeria’s maternal and child health indicators, particularly in underserved and conflict-affected communities where access to quality healthcare remains limited.