NPHCDA Boss Confirms FG Prioritizes Crashing Maternal and Child Mortality Rate, Intensifies Investment in PHC and Essential Commodities

The Federal Government is significantly scaling up its financial and operational investments in the health sector with the explicit goal of drastically reducing the nation’s high maternal, newborn, and child mortality rates. This renewed commitment was announced, by the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, during a media briefing in Abuja.

Dr. Aina affirmed that President Bola Tinubu has issued a direct mandate to the health sector to prioritize and “crash maternal mortality,” stating that the numbers, which according to the 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics Report saw an estimated 20,811 maternal, neonatal, and under-five deaths between January and September 2025, remain unacceptably high.

The NPHCDA boss detailed the intensified strategy, which is anchored by the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII). This initiative is designed to address the key barriers that prevent mothers and children from accessing care, primarily focusing on the 172 high-burden Local Government Areas that contribute to over half of the country’s maternal fatalities.

Key investment areas include direct funding channeled to Primary Healthcare (PHC) facilities, ensuring the improved availability of essential maternal and neonatal commodities, and the widespread recruitment and deployment of community health workers. These community workers are being tasked with actively identifying pregnant women at the grassroots level, linking them to PHC facilities, and ensuring they receive timely and skilled care, including free emergency Caesarean sections for those who need them. Dr. Aina emphasized that the comprehensive approach moves beyond simple commodity distribution to strengthen the entire PHC delivery ecosystem nationwide.