Nigeria is set to offer free emergency Caesarean sections to “poor and vulnerable” women across the country in an effort to address its high maternal mortality rate as it has the fourth-highest maternal mortality rate in the world, with 1,047 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and lack of affordable access to C-sections has been a major contributor. The program, part of the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, will provide free emergency C-sections in public hospitals for eligible women, with priority given to those registered with the public health insurance system and identified by hospital social welfare units.

The cost of a Caesarean section in Nigeria averages around 60,000 naira, or $36, a price that is out of reach for many families, particularly in rural areas where over 40% of Nigerians live below the extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day. The initiative focuses on covering emergency C-sections, though advocates are calling for an expansion to include medications and prenatal services. To further unpack we are joined on the line by Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Honourable Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare