Antenatal care in nigeria: an implication for maternal mortality

Sulaimon Adedokun, Obafemi Awolowo University
Kareem Uthman, Obafemi Awolowo University

The Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality by two-third may be a mirage without a corresponding reduction in maternal mortality. One major factor in preventing maternal mortality is antenatal care. Using the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data of 1999 and 2003, this paper examines the antenatal care attendance among women of reproductive age in Nigeria. Results show that the percentage of women who consulted doctors during pregnancy fell from 24.9% in 1999 to 21.8% in 2003. Although the number of women who visited traditional birth attendants decreased by 1.7%, an increase of 2.5% was recorded among those who never attended any antenatal care. With maternal mortality rate of 1,100 per 100,000 live births, Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality. This, however, may have been occasioned by the low antenatal care attendance.