The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the alarming rate of maternal deaths in Borno State, disclosing that one woman dies every eight minutes during childbirth, mostly from preventable causes.
Chief of UNICEF Maiduguri Field Office, Mr Francis Busiku Butichi, disclosed on Thursday during the launch of the distribution of 3,700 Mama Kits to 13 priority local government areas in Borno State under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMII).
He warned that Borno State remains one of the highest contributors to maternal and neonatal mortality in the country, urging immediate and concerted efforts to reverse the trend.
According to him, “These are not just numbers. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and future leaders lost to preventable causes”.
He noted that the MAMII initiative was designed to address five major delays that contribute to maternal and newborn deaths—delays in seeking care, reaching care, receiving care, taking responsibility, and coordinating healthcare responses.