The Federal Government has disbursed a total of N87 million to support 2,819 pregnant women who accessed the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) programme, part of its efforts to combat maternal mortality in Nigeria.
The initiative, designed to cover treatment costs for the five leading causes of maternal deaths — hemorrhage, preeclampsia, sepsis, post-abortion complications, and obstructed labor — is part of the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative. Initially piloted in Kano and Akwa Ibom states, the programme has expanded to include facilities in Bauchi, Sokoto, Borno, and Kebbi states.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, 887 claims have been submitted, with 706 verified and 663 paid. Furthermore, 42 referral facilities have joined the programme, covering all geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
The programme is part of a broader effort by the Federal Government, which includes upgrading 774 CEmONC centers under the MAMI Initiative to ensure women in underserved areas have access to emergency services like caesarean sections without financial barriers.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health, emphasized the importance of this initiative in reducing maternal mortality, noting that it would empower women to deliver safely and contribute to Nigeria’s demographic and economic growth.