Africa: Why Every Mother Deserves An Affordable Birthing Kit
Nigeria accounts for 20% of global maternal deaths, one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Sepsis, hemorrhage, and obstructed labor remain leading causes, many of which could be prevented with something as simple as a sterile birthing kit. Yet, despite their life-saving potential, around 20 million Nigerian women remain without access to these kits due to cost, distribution challenges, and lack of awareness.
Consider that over 60% of births in Nigeria occur outside formal healthcare settings, with many deliveries taking place at home or in under-equipped health centers. This means about 800 women die in every 100,000 live births. For these women, a birthing kit is not a convenience, it is a lifeline.
An affordable birthing kit, which costs approximately US$9, typically contains essential sterile supplies: gloves, antiseptic, a clean blade, a delivery mat, cord clamps, and other critical items. These seemingly basic tools help prevent infections, excessive bleeding, and complications that contribute to maternal mortality. Despite their simplicity, their impact is profound.
For instance, in Uganda, a national birthing kit initiative reduced puerperal sepsis, a severe bacterial infection that occurs in women after childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion, usually due to unsanitary delivery conditions, by over 30% in targeted areas. In South Asia, similar programs have cut neonatal mortality by up to 48%. If properly implemented in Nigeria, a nationwide birthing kit program could significantly improve maternal and child health outcomes.
In Nigeria, my social enterprise has already demonstrated the life-saving impact of birthing kits in Iwoye Gaga community, a rural settlement in Akure, Ondo State, South West Nigeria. Before our intervention, the community recorded an average of four maternal deaths for every 15 deliveries. However, after introducing Natal Cares’ birthing kits; alongside maternal health education to the pregnant women and nursing mothers in the basic healthcare center, this number dropped to one maternal death per 15 deliveries – a 75% reduction in maternal mortality. This success story highlights the power of simple, low-cost interventions in saving lives. It also underscores the need for collaboration between social enterprises, government agencies, and community health workers to ensure that no mother is left behind. Natal Cares currently has a partnership with the Basic Healthcare Board and the Ondo State Ministry of Health.
Some may argue that birthing kits are merely a short-term fix rather than a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s maternal health crisis. They contend that the focus should be on improving healthcare infrastructure, increasing the number of skilled birth attendants, and addressing systemic issues such as poverty and inadequate medical access. While long-term investment in healthcare systems is essential, this argument ignores the harsh reality: Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure is currently unable to accommodate every expectant mother. The immediate need to reduce maternal deaths cannot be postponed until systemic changes take effect.
Birthing kits do not replace hospitals or trained birth attendants, but they serve as a critical bridge, ensuring that even the most vulnerable mothers have access to safer delivery options.
Preventing infections and complications through simple interventions is far more cost-effective than treating them after they occur. A single case of maternal sepsis can cost hundreds of dollars to treat – an expense beyond the reach of many Nigerian families. Furthermore, maternal complications place additional strain on Nigeria’s overburdened healthcare system. Investing in affordable birthing kits is not just a strategic public health intervention; it is also an economically sound decision that can reduce overall healthcare costs.
The evidence is clear, birthing kits save lives. They are affordable, practical, and scalable solutions that can significantly reduce maternal mortality. While long-term healthcare reforms remain essential, immediate action is required to prevent avoidable deaths.
The Nigerian Ministry of Health must integrate birthing kits into national maternal health programs and allocate funding for large-scale distribution, ensuring that rural healthcare centers and traditional birth attendants have access to subsidized kits. Healthcare providers and traditional birth attendants must be trained and equipped with birthing kits to improve safe delivery rates, particularly in remote areas. Meanwhile, communities and local leaders play a crucial role in raising awareness about safe birthing practices, advocating for better maternal health policies, and ensuring that pregnant women know where to access these life-saving kits.
Social enterprises such as NATAL CARES and Government agencies such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the State Ministries of Health can also foster public-private partnerships to scale up production, reduce costs, and expand access, with innovative financing models like social enterprises making these kits more affordable.
Nigeria cannot afford to wait while thousands of mothers continue to die from preventable causes each year. It is the ultimate responsibility of the government to make birthing kits accessible to every expectant mother, especially those in rural and underserved communities.
Only until this happens will Nigeria change the narrative of maternal health – one safe birth at a time. Every mother deserves a safe delivery, and an affordable birthing kit is a powerful, life-saving tool to make that happen.
By Uche Kenneth Udekwe
