Chioma Umeha

CHIOMA UMEHA In Cape Town Global leaders have issued an urgent call for countries to invest in health and social sectors to meet the targets for maternal and stillbirth reduction at the first biennial International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC2023) in Cape Town, South Africa. The experts convened to drive urgent action for the health of mothers and newborns by leading with evidence, sharing effective implementation strategies, reviewing joint progress, and nurturing collaboration and innovation.  Participants heard firsthand stories from impacted countries, communities, and women about how the current plateau in progress affects real lives at the IMNHC2023. “It’s about accountability, and this is something that we all must take responsibility over. We work in environments where a lot of women and families are not empowered,” said Dr. Queen Dube, Chief of Health Services for the Ministry of Health Malawi and AlignMNH Steering Committee Co-chair. New data and goals proposed

CHIOMA UMEHA  Cape Town Nigeria accounts for one in seven global maternal deaths, implying that over 50,000 Nigerian women die yearly, a United Nations report said, ranking the country second among 10 others responsible for 60 percent of women and newborn deaths, worldwide. The latest estimate was contained in the progress tracking report by the WHO, UNICEF, and the UNFPA was launched on Tuesday at the ongoing “International Maternal Newborn Health Conference' (IMNHC2023). The World Health Organisation (WHO) released the report on Tuesday, titled, "Improving Maternal and Newborn Health and Survival and Reducing Stillbirth: Progress Report 2023," which revealed, Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is currently ranked second after India. According to the report, 788 women and children died "per thousand" in India, while 540 perished "per thousand" in Nigeria in 2020. In the same year, India accounted for 17 percent of all maternal, neonatal, an