Problems of obstetric care in Nigeria

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Abstract
The problems of obstetric care in Nigeria are multifactorial, enormous but represent inevitable evolutionary stages through which every community in the world must pass. In a population of around 90 million, there is one doctor for every 11,000 people and only 35% of the population is at present covered by any form of modern health care services. There are fewer than 500 doctors with specialist obstetric qualifications and many of them are concentrated in the large cities. A disquietingly small number (17%) of our women are delivered by personnel with modern obstetric knowledge; 83% are delivered by traditional birth attendants. The maternal mortality rate is around 8/1000, and the perinatal mortality is about 60/1000. Currently less than 20% of the population is educated. Only 3% of the national budget is devoted to health. A proper communication system so vital to the establishment of liaison between doctors and the community of patients is virtually non-existent. These problems are compounded by hostile environmental factors. A mixture of tribal, superstitious and religious practices permit marriages as early as 10 years of age and prevent women in labor from seeking medical attention in a timely fashion. Fortunately programmes for improved obstetric care are being expanded. Thus the present difficulty of working in an unfavorable and challenging situation may well be worthwhile.

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