By Dickson Omobola

The Maternal and Reproductive Health Research Collective, MRHC, on Thursday, lamented maternal mortality in the country, saying it is unacceptably high.

MRHC, which disclosed that 30 per cent of women die from pregnancy or childbirth related causes, said it has created a month-long intervention initiative that would solve the nation’s maternal health crisis.

The organisation said it intends to to save the lives of 5,000 women through its #WeMenForHer campaign, adding that the life-saving crusade would raise N100,000,000, with each woman benefiting from a dedicated allocation of 20,000 naira for comprehensive maternal care.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Founder of MRHC, Professor Bosede Afolabi, said a memorial march honouring women who have lost their lives due to subpar maternal care, star-studded celebrity endorsements and a charity run are ways by which the funds needed to execute theirs objectives would be attained.

She said: “We are trying to raise awareness for maternal mortality and we are also trying to ensure that we raise funds to help every woman. We are starting with Lagos State. We will register 5,000 pregnant women and ensure that they deliver safely.

“After this, we are moving to the whole country. If we are going to try and solve our own problems, we need the help of everyone in the country. It is important that we care for and save the lives of pregnant women. Hopefully, we will get the results that we desire in terms of saving the lives of pregnant women in Nigeria.”