Health
Enhancing Maternal Survival by Committing to Agreed Global Health Policies
By Isaac Oriafo Ejakhegbe
“Maternal health and wellbeing must remain a central goal, an investment priority in the sustainable development to ensure that progress continues and accelerates. Also, indigenous government must see that they play their part to agreed health policies for which we pledge commitment.”— Gynecologist in Benin City, Nigeria
The year 2015, which once seemed far off, has now passed.
With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted and the 2015 Global Maternal Newborn Health Conference and 2016 Women Deliver Conference behind us, the time is now to mobilize global and country-level commitment for ending preventable maternal mortality, including commitments to newborn, sexual and reproductive health.
Worldwide, the greatest disparities among human development indicators are in maternal mortality rates between high-income and low- and middle-income countries. The highest maternal mortality levels are found in Africa and Asia. In fact, in India, a woman dies of childbirth every 8 minutes, and Nigeria loses 145 women of childbearing age every single day.
Across many countries there have been short- and long-term policies to achieve tangible reductions of maternal deaths.
There is, of course, nothing wrong in expressing short- or medium-term health policy goals, or even far-reaching objectives to be achieved over a slated period of time. There is, however, in retrospect, a clear historic trend over nearly two decades that, despite progress, long-term maternal health policies have not fully attained success in the sub regions of many countries, leaving deep inequity not only between, but also within countries.
Stakeholders and country-level government should act early and sustain the zeal for maternal, newborn and reproductive health and rights ignited by the SDGs, since quality health care that reaches women on time could avert most of these deaths.
In 1977, “Health for all by the year 2000” was the well-known slogan at the estimable initiative of Alma Ata. Nearly 20 years later at the famous International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt, delegates from 179 countries agreed that every country must reduce maternal mortality by half by the year 2000.
Despite these well-intentioned, yet lofty goals, the turn of the century passed with the beating hearts of childbearing women continuing to reach an idle stop every day. Millennium Development Goal 5 added upon Alma Ata and ICPD and enhanced the focus on efforts to decrease maternal mortality, with an even loftier goal to decrease 1990 maternal mortality ratios by three quarters by 2015.
Much of the progress that contributed to a 45% decrease in maternal mortality from 1990 to 2013 was the result of accelerated gain since 2000 and yet many of the countries in Africa and Asia were not able to achieve the benchmark target by the slated year 2015.
The dawn of the SDGs is a new era.
While the targets for maternal and newborn health are laudable, and could be achieved across the globe over the next 15 years, it is critical that local and national governments in developing nations act vigorously and sustain commitment to budget allocation and program implementation for quality maternal health care services within a global framework.
Isaac Oriafo Ejakhegbe is a Women Deliver Young Leader from Nigeria. He works in the nonprofit sector, with a focus on health promotion, maternal and child health, gender equality and climate change. Among others, he is passionate about civil engagement and health reporting of the SDGs and has written works in HIV, child labour, girls education, and climate change. He can be reached via email and Twitter.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The decision of the management of SUNU Health Nigeria Limited to adopt the strategy of placing the enrollee and customer at the heart of its operations has started to pay off.
The company was recently announced as Most Customer-Focused Health Insurance Company of the Year at the Customer Service Standard Magazine Awards 2025.
The recognition underscored the company’s success in translating its dedication into tangible enrollee satisfaction and superior market service at the Nigerian Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) landscape.
It also highlights the organisation’s dedicated efforts in streamlining claims processing, enhancing access to quality healthcare providers, and maintaining transparent, responsive communication channels with its diverse client base across Nigeria.
The accolade further serves as a powerful testament to the successful integration of digital solutions and human-centric service models at SUNU Health.
It positions the firm as a leader not only in providing robust health plans but also in delivering the supportive, personalized care that enrollees truly value.
“Clinching the Most Customer-Focused Health Insurance Company of the Year award is not just an honour; it is a validation of the core philosophy that drives every member of the SUNU Health team.
“We believe that healthcare is fundamentally a service industry, and our success is measured by the well-being and satisfaction of our enrollees,” the chief executive of SUNU Health, Mr Patrick Korie, commented.
“This award reinforces our resolve to continuously innovate and set new benchmarks for customer experience in the Nigerian health insurance sector.
“Our commitment to providing accessible, high-quality, and seamless healthcare solutions remains our top priority as we move into the new year (2026),” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has launched its first nationally representative survey on antimicrobial resistance to generate critical data to guide evidence-based policies, improve patient outcomes, and strengthen health system resilience.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist treatment, making infections harder to cure.
As a result, surveillance is essential to track resistance patterns, identify priority pathogens, and guide targeted interventions and with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, the initiative marks a milestone in the country’s public health response.
Nigeria becomes the third country globally to partner with WHO on a national antimicrobial resistance survey. having been selected based on the country’s strong commitment to AMR surveillance, its updated WHO Nigeria NAP 2.0, and readiness to expand laboratory and data systems.
Africa’s most populous country ranks 20th globally for age-standardized mortality due to antimicrobial resistance . In 2019, an estimated 263,400 deaths in Nigeria were linked to it—more than the combined deaths from enteric infections, tuberculosis, respiratory infections, maternal and neonatal disorders, neglected tropical diseases, malaria, and cardiovascular diseases.
Globally, resistant infections in tertiary care settings cost between $2,371 and $29,289 per patient episode, extend hospital stays by an average of 7.4 days, and increase mortality risk by 84 per cent.
The survey will see the establishment of a national baseline on antimicrobial resistance prevalence to monitor interventions, assess the distribution, burden (morbidity, mortality, DALYs, cost), and diversity of AMR across regions and populations, as well as contribute to the global target of reducing AMR deaths by 10 per cent by 2030, in line with the political declaration endorsed at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in 2024.
It also seeks to strengthen routine antimicrobial resistance surveillance, including diagnostics, sample referral systems, and laboratory capacity.
Using WHO’s standardized methodology, the survey will run for 12–15 months and cover 40–45 randomly selected health facilities nationwide. Patients with suspected bloodstream infections (BSIs) will be identified using standard case definitions, and blood samples will be analysed in quality-assured laboratories.
Data will be collected across all age groups, covering clinical, demographic, laboratory, financial, and outcome indicators. Follow-up will occur at discharge, 28 days, and three months post-infection. The survey will sample approximately 35,000 patients suspected of BSIs to obtain around 800 isolates of the most common pathogens.
Dr Tochi Okwor, Acting Head, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said, “With WHO’s support, we are confident the survey will generate the evidence needed to protect public health.”
WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, reaffirmed WHO’s commitment stating that ,“Nigeria is taking a decisive step toward combating AMR with an approach grounded in data, science, and measurable impact. This survey will provide the clarity needed to drive smarter policies, stronger surveillance, and better patient outcomes. Nigeria is laying the foundations for a resilient health system, one that protects lives, strengthens trust, and ensures that essential medicines remain effective for future generations.”
Adding her input, Dr Laetitia Gahimbare, Technical Officer at WHO Regional Office for Africa, added:“Strengthening surveillance enhances Nigeria’s capacity to detect and respond to AMR threats, supporting better patient outcomes, reinforcing health security, and building a resilient system.”
Professor Babatunde Ogunbosi, Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist at University College Hospital, Ibadan, highlighted the broader impact:, “This survey is about more than data. It’s about building national capacity for research, diagnostics, and policy. It integrates science into public health decision-making.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
One of the leading Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) in Nigeria, SUNU Health, has said its philosophy is proactive wellness, noting that this was why it recently partnered with The Divine Physician and St. Luke Catholic Chaplaincy Centre for a community health initiative.
The chief executive of the company, Dr Patrick Korie, said, “SUNU Health’s vision extends far beyond merely offering health packages and insurance.”
“We are fundamentally interested in proactive wellness—preventing illness rather than just treating it. This annual exercise is a crucial part of that commitment, and we will continue to champion it for as long as we exist,” he stressed.
The medical practitioner led the company’s annual Health Walk in Lagos on Saturday, November 8, 2025. The event drew hundreds of health enthusiasts, including the Chaplain of the centre, Rev Fr. John Okoria SJ.
His active participation reinforced the spiritual and moral commitment to holistic well-being, proving crucial in mobilizing staff and community members, thereby ensuring the vital wellness message reached a broad and deeply engaged audience.
The health walk covered several major streets in Lagos, starting from Ishaga Road and navigating through Itire Road, Randle Avenue, Akerele, Ogunlana Drive, and Workers Street before concluding back at the starting point. Following the vigorous walk, participants engaged in a session of high-energy aerobics and other outdoor exercises, reinforcing the day’s focus on fitness.
“We are delighted to champion this vital health initiative alongside the Catholic Chaplaincy Centre LUTH/CMUL. The turnout was truly delightful, reflecting the community’s deep desire to embrace wellness.
“Collaborations like this amplify our message and commitment to the Nigerian community,” the Brand and Corporate Communications Lead at SUNU Health, Mr Samuel Olayemi, stated.
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