By Chioma Obinna

A new maternal health initiative has achieved a 99.9 per cent reduction in maternal deaths across 20 local government areas in Lagos State, signalling a major breakthrough in efforts to combat Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate.

In 2020, the World Health Organisation, WHO, reporters that Nigeria accounted for 28.5 percent of global maternal deaths.

The new programme, named “MamaBase”, was implemented by the Maternal and Reproductive Health Collective, MRHC, a non-governmental organisation focused on improving maternal health outcomes.

Disclosing the findings of the project at a press conference in Lagos, Acting Executive Director of MRHC MRHC, Dr. Olajumoke Oke revealed that while Nigeria recorded over 75,000 maternal deaths in 2023, accounting for 28.7 percent of global maternal mortality, the intervention has shown that significant progress is possible through data-driven, community-based care.

She said: “By registering vulnerable pregnant women, linking them to health facilities, and providing free scans, tests, and emergency care, we’ve shown that systemic change is possible even in resource-limited settings.”

Oke explained that between October 2023 and September 2024, MamaBase enrolled 7,883 pregnant women in all 20 LGAs of Lagos State. Of this number, 7,473 successfully delivered under skilled medical supervision.

The programme achieved a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 123 per 100,000 live births, a significant improvement from the national average of 1,047 per 100,000.

Other milestones included a 50% reduction in third-trimester losses, emergency care for 144 high-risk cases, and a childbirth survival rate of 99.9 percent. Antenatal care attendance among participants also rose to 60 percent underscoring the value of continuous maternal engagement and 80 per cent of MamaBase participants delivered their babies at a health facility.

While out of the 7,883 women registered, nine died and 7 out of the nine women delivered their babies outside a health facility.

Giving an impact assessment of the initiative m, the Chief Operating Officer, Olufunmilola Owosho, explained that the group began full-scale implementation of the programme in 2023, with a target to connect 5,000 womento formal healthcare annually.

“We’re now launching a second phase in 12 high-risk LGAs including Epe, Alimosho, Mushin, Ikorodu, Apapa, and Eti-Osa. Our focus is on deepening access to maternal care in disadvantaged communities,” she said.

Owosho also disclosed plans to expand the initiative to Kaduna State, while calling for stronger partnerships with community organisations and support networks to improve sustainability.

Despite the programme’s success, MRHC acknowledged several challenges, including lack of emergency transport, absence of health insurance, poor birth planning, and cultural barriers.

“Many pregnant women still avoid health centres due to high costs and unfriendly staff attitudes,” said Dr. Oluwatosin Laleye, MRHC’s Senior Programme Manager (Research).

“The causes of maternal deaths are a mix of medical and systemic issues—from excessive bleeding and infections to structural inequality and poverty.”

In response, the organisation adopted a multipronged strategy involving telehealth messaging, home visits by community health workers, and training of frontline personnel. Between 2023 and 2024, 284 primary healthcare doctors and 69 nurses received training in Emergency Obstetrics Care (EMOC), while over 1,900 health workers were sensitised on Respectful Maternal Care.

Also speaking on the outcomes, MRHC’s Senior Data Manager, Mr. Lekan Olagunju, confirmed that 80 percent of women in the target group delivered safely and expressed satisfaction with the services received.

Also the Research and Project Coordinator, Fehintoluwa Aluko, added that improving maternal health-seeking behaviour remains a top priority, with ongoing community engagement and education.

Supporting the initiative, Dr. Abimbola Mabogunje, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, lauded MamaBase as “a vital intervention that has significantly improved maternal and reproductive health outcomes in Lagos.”

Also speaking at the dissemination event, the CEO of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, called the project a bold statement of equity and resilience.

“We are not just reviewing data; we are celebrating the lives of women who would otherwise be lost to preventable causes. MamaBase is a movement driven by empathy, evidence, and action,” Ibekwe declared.

“Let this not be the end, but the beginning of stronger policies and resilient collaborations.”
As MRHC begins consultations with stakeholders in Kaduna and other states, the success of MamaBase is emerging as a replicable model in the fight to end preventable maternal deaths in Nigeria one woman at a time.