Abuja, Nigeria — The Nigerian government has ramped up emergency response and maternal healthcare delivery nationwide, deploying hundreds of ambulances and expanding critical services to tackle preventable deaths among mothers and newborns.
Speaking at the 2026 Safe Motherhood Day commemoration in Abuja, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, revealed that 612 ambulances have been deployed across 340 local government areas to strengthen emergency referrals and rapid response systems. The intervention, implemented under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), has already facilitated the transportation of nearly 79,000 patients—about 47,000 of them pregnant women—ensuring quicker access to skilled care during complications.
Pate described the development as part of a broader shift toward building a responsive and efficient healthcare system capable of saving lives at critical moments. “Timely access to emergency care is one of the most decisive factors in preventing maternal deaths. We are strengthening systems to ensure no woman is left behind”, he said.
The government is also scaling up the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), now active in 32 states, targeting high-risk areas with integrated and data-driven interventions.
Health officials reported notable improvements in service uptake, including a 20 percent rise in antenatal care attendance in programme areas. In addition, over 166,000 previously unregistered pregnant women have been identified and connected to healthcare services, particularly in northern states.
To support frontline care, more than 111,000 maternal kits have been distributed nationwide, with additional supplies underway. Hundreds of primary healthcare centres have also received essential commodities aimed at improving outcomes for mothers and newborns.
The government further strengthened its workforce capacity by recruiting thousands of skilled birth attendants and community health workers to bridge gaps in service delivery, especially in underserved communities. Alongside these efforts, new clinical protocols and updated antenatal care guidelines were unveiled to standardise treatment and improve the quality of care across facilities.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare emphasized that improving maternal health outcomes requires more than infrastructure—it demands consistent quality and collaboration among all stakeholders. She called on state governments, health professionals, and development partners to sustain the momentum and ensure that interventions reach the most vulnerable populations.
As Nigeria joins the global community to mark Safe Motherhood Day, authorities reiterated that while progress is being made, more work is needed to eliminate preventable maternal deaths.
The message is clear: stronger systems, faster emergency response, and better-quality care are key to ensuring that every Nigerian mother survives pregnancy and childbirth.