Seminar No. 1183
31 August 2022 Time: 12:30 – 13:30 hrs.
Speaker: Abubakar Yakubu Abbani
Abstract
Abstract Tens of thousands of women die every year in the course of bringing children to life in Nigeria, while many others escape with injuries as a result. Nigeria is among the countries contributing the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, accounting for 23% of global maternal mortality burden as at 2017 according to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019). The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) estimated a maternal mortality ratio of 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. This very high number of maternal deaths is promoted largely by the low levels of utilisation of maternal healthcare services (MHS) by women, especially from the northern region of the country. Majority of women in the northern region either underutilise or do not utilise MHS at all, with the north-western zone having the worst situation. Efforts toward improving maternal health condition in the region by increasing MHS utilisation have not yielded the desired results, necessitating for empirical studies to understand the problem. This study therefore aims to identify and understand the social determinants of inequities in non-utilisation of maternal healthcare services by women in north-western zone of Nigeria using data from the 2018 NDHS and key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders (policy makers, healthcare providers, religious and traditional leaders) in the region.
