The state of political priority for safe motherhood in Nigeria

Abstract

Achieving the ambitious maternal mortality reduction aims of the Millennium Development Goals will require more than generating sufficient donor support and carrying out appropriate medical interventions. It also will necessitate convincing governments in developing countries to give the cause political priority. The generation of political priority, however, is a subject that has received minimal research attention. In this article, we assess the state of political priority for maternal mortality reduction in Nigeria, which has more maternal deaths in childbirth than any country except India. We also identify challenges that advocates face in promoting priority. We find that after decades of neglect, a policy window has opened for safe motherhood in Nigeria, giving hope for future maternal mortality reduction. However, priority is as yet in its infancy, as advocates have yet to coalesce into a potent political force pushing the government to action. The case of Nigeria suggests that there is an urgent need for safe motherhood policy communities in countries with high maternal mortality to transform their moral and technical authority into political power, pushing policy‐makers to action. We offer a number of suggestions on how they may do so.

Shaping the Health Policy Agenda: The Case of Safe Motherhood Policy in Vietnam

“…This perception contrasts with findings from other studies of SM policy development such as in Nigeria or India, where the CSOs were seen differently for example in White Ribbon in India. 23 In our study, the roles of policy champion are prominent in agenda-setting, a finding which is similar to other contexts. In India, the Prime Minister played significant role in shifting the SM from a condition into a problem.…”

“…Similarly, in other countries powerful external partners provided crucial financial and technical support in policy processes: for example, UNICEF, and WB in India; DFID Path in Nigeria; USAID, WB, the Netherlands Embassy in Honduras. 7,23 Although there is no direct evidence from our study, the long history of RNE support to the health sector may have also contributed to their credibility and power in the health sector, as compared to other bilateral and multilateral agencies.…”

“…In Nigeria, Honduras, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the MoH officials played important roles in developing SM policies. 7,23,24 It can be seen that the policy champion is typically a powerful individual, located at national level and having good connections with different stakeholders including donors. The person can disseminate, advocate and mobilize support and resources.…”

The Concept of Birth Preparedness in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

“…In Nigeria birth preparedness was only launched in 2005 by the Federal Ministry of Health (Shiffman and Okonofua, 2007). This study aim to assess the practice, attitude and factors associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness in the Niger Delta.…”

Assessing political priority for reproductive health in Ethiopia

“…In many cases, governments have committed to reducing maternal mortality, dedicated financial and political resources, taken advantage of policy windows, mobilized and encouraged cross-sector collaborations, harnessed the energy of political champions, and effectively communicated the problem and the unique national program intended to solve it. 6,13,16 Shiffman and colleagues argue that effective domestic advocacy in the reproductive health arena must involve a multi-sector alliance. This alliance will then develop a cogent, nationally appropriate plan and will work together to implement it.…”