- Nigeria has accounted for 10% of the 5.2 million global maternal deaths, research finding released by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) showed.
The report showed that 52,000 Nigerian women die of pregnancy-related complicated annually.
A senior programme manager for reproductive health at USAID Nigeria, Dr. Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed the report, said majority of the maternal deaths victims were women between 15 and 45.
Several factors, including Nigeria's poor health care delivery, non-availability of genuine drugs, patronage of unqualified health experts and cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, were blamed for exacerbating the problem.
At least 75% of the country's maternal deaths occur in the North where cultural practices have become rampant.
With a population of 140 million people, Nigeria, Africa's most densely populated nations, represents 1.7% of the world population.
Over the past five years, the number of Nigeria's maternal deaths shot up from 37,000 in 2000 to 52,000 in 2008. Within the same period, maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births has also risen from 800 to over 1,000.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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