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Article
Preventing Maternal Mortality in Nigeria: A Human Rights Imperative
Author(s)
Uchenna Emelonye
Abigail Uchenna Emelonye
Uchenna Ponfa Emelonye
Full-Text PDF XML 420 Views
DOI:10.17265/1548-6605/2019.04.004
Affiliation(s)
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Liberia
National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
ABSTRACT
Maternal mortality is one
of the greatest global threat to life expectancy of women and girls and the
enjoyment of their right to life. It is estimated that 250 women and girls die
every day as a result of complications during pregnancy and child birth. Out of
this sordid global statistics, Nigeria shares a disproportionate burden of
40,000 maternal deaths per year. Despite advances made towards health care
delivery, becoming pregnant is a very high risk experience for an average woman
and girl in Nigeria due to the absence of human rights based approach to
existing policies and interventions. This paper postulated that whereas access
to appropriate and quality health care services are critical factors in
reducing maternal mortality, the paradigm shift is the realization that health
policies and interventions alone are not sufficient to combat the burden of
maternal mortality in Nigeria. Rather, concerted efforts must be made to
systematically guarantee to every women and girl the inalienable enjoyment of
the full range of human rights, including right to health and life guaranteed
in the Nigerian Constitution and other human rights treaties subscribed to by
Nigeria.
KEYWORDS
human rights, child birth, maternal mortality, health systems, Nigeria
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