REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
For women of reproductive age, the biological functions of pregnancy and childbirth create additional health needs. Overall, reproductive and maternal health has improved considerably over the past two decades. A growing proportion of women are using contraceptives and the demand for family planning is increasingly being satisfied.
Worldwide, the number of maternal deaths declined by 45 per cent between 1990 and 2013. Still, in sub-Saharan Africa, only half of pregnant women receive adequate care during childbirth. In 2014, 83 per cent of pregnant women in developing regions had at least one antenatal care visit, an improvement of 19 percentage points since 1990. However, only 52 per cent of pregnant women had the recommended minimum of four antenatal care visits.
Similarly, a woman’s chance of dying from pregnancy and childbirth in Nigeria is 1 in 13. Although many of these deaths are preventable, the coverage and quality of health care services in Nigeria continue to fail women and children. Presently, less than 20 per cent of health facilities offer emergency obstetric care and only 35 per cent of deliveries are attended by skilled birth attendants.
The following indicators were used in determining the performance of reproducitve health interventions among the states.