FG reports 17% drop in maternal deaths, records major health sector gains

By Kunle Sanni –

The federal government says Nigeria’s health sector is witnessing steady improvements, with new data showing a 17% drop in maternal deaths and a 12% decline in newborn mortality across 172 high-burden local government areas.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a ministerial press briefing ahead of the 2025 Joint Annual Review (JAR) of the health sector.

According to the minister, the JAR will evaluate progress under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, launched in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen accountability, improve service delivery, and align national and state-level health priorities.

Pate said 37 out of 41 key performance indicators (KPIs) set under the presidential health reform commitments have already been achieved — a development he described as “remarkable progress.”

“For the first time, we are seeing alignment between the federal government’s direction and the states in terms of priorities in annual operational plans,” Pate said. “One hundred percent of states now have operational plans aligned with the national health sector blueprint.”

The minister also announced that 774 National Health Fellows have been deployed across all local governments, while 35 of the 36 states and the FCT have conducted their own performance reviews, with citizens actively participating in health decision-making.

On service delivery, Pate highlighted improvements in maternal and reproductive health indicators, including higher antenatal care attendance, increased skilled birth deliveries, and rising family planning uptake. Visits to primary healthcare facilities under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) rose sharply from 10 million in early 2024 to 45 million in the second quarter of 2025.

“New family planning acceptors have increased by 10% since the beginning of the year, and 50% of women of reproductive age are now using modern contraceptives,” the minister noted. “We have also revitalized over 435 health facilities in high-priority local governments and recruited more than 15,000 community-based health workers.”