Maternal Mortality in Nigeria: Reducing through Policy Chang

Maternal health is one the most significant issue that determines global and national wellbeing as it affects individuals, families, and communities at large. Despite all the policies instituted by the Nigerian Government to curb and reduce maternal mortality like free antenatal care for all the women that are pregnant, skilled care delivery during childbirth, post-partum family planning, counseling services, high maternal mortality persists in the country. The objective of this study was to determine the Socio-Political determinants of high maternal mortality in Nigeria and to explore the existing government policies regarding maternal health in Nigeria. This research is a literature-based study focusing primarily on published journals, papers, abstracts, and articles relating to maternal mortality in Nigeria. All relevant materials were obtained by an internet-based search using google scholar, DHS Nigeria, Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics Third Edition, UNICEF Nigeria, WHO Nigeria, Pub Med and other relevant journals. Non-internet based search was done to obtain more relevant articles. Major factors have been identified as the socio-political determinants of maternal mortality in Nigeria. They include the Illiteracy, poverty, corruption, religion and culture, political atmosphere, the pattern of settlement, geopolitical region. Corruption, the pattern of settlement, culture, and religion were found to be the determinants that have the most influence on maternal mortality. Upon exploration of some maternal health policies in Nigeria, major lapses were found in the consistency and implementation of this policies as they vary among comparable regions in Nigeria. Besides the deficiencies in the existing maternal health policies in Nigeria, its implementation remains extremely difficult due to the sociopolitical structure in Nigeria. Some of the recommendations include the grassroots involvement of various community stakeholders and tailoring policies to accommodate the ethnoreligious difference existing in Nigeria.