The Ogun State government has launched a rural maternal health emergency transport service to help reduce maternal mortality in the state. At the program’s kickoff event held at the Odeda Local Government Secretariat, Bamidele Abiodun, the wife of the Ogun State Governor, emphasized the government’s commitment to lowering maternal deaths through various initiatives, including the hiring of over 200 nurses and midwives for the healthcare system.
She highlighted that the state has also acquired around 100 tricycle ambulances, distributing them across all 20 local government areas to ensure safe deliveries for women and children.
Abiodun identified hemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labor as major contributors to maternal morbidity and mortality in developing countries, noting that approximately 830 women die daily from preventable pregnancy-related causes. “Ninety-nine percent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries, with rates particularly high among women in rural areas and poorer communities,” she said.
She acknowledged the contributions of development partners in health, particularly Emergency Response Africa (ERA), for their efforts to safeguard the lives of women and children in Ogun State.
Abiodun stated that this project aims to decrease maternal mortality by facilitating prompt emergency responses and effective referral services, while also enhancing antenatal clinic attendance and increasing the number of deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants at primary healthcare centers.
