Wife of the Senate Predident, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, on Thursday decried the estimated death of 110 women daily during child birth.

Mrs. Saraki, who spoke when she received the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA), Mrs. Ratidzai Ndalovu, in Abuja, also called for more concerted awareness and sensitization campaign in the fight against infant mortality.

She also presented 200 Training Arm Models donated by Merck Stopes to the 98 Midwifery schools in the country and urged midwife tutors to ensure effective use of the equipment.

The Media Office of the Senate President in a statement in Abuja quoted Mrs. Saraki as saying that the government will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in its efforts to curb the menace.

She said that the government will not relent in acquiring modern facilities that would help reduce the spate of maternal mortality among the women folks.

She added that government will also address inadequacies in the training of midwives, saying, “there is a need for Nigeria to hold a National Conference on midwifery where practitioners will update their technical knowledge and skills to confront the ugly trend.”

While highlighting the danger posed by the maternal mortality among the rural women in Nigeria, Mrs. Saraki urged international donors, governments at all levels and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) to address the challenge of ignorance and cultural barriers plaguing Nigerian women.

The wife of the Senate President further tasked government and private medical institutions to look into remuneration, occupational hazard and general welfare package of practitioners to checkmate unnecessary out-flux of midwives that are looking for greener pastures outside the shores of the country.

She said: “The importance of midwifery services cannot be underestimated. Our motive is to record drastic reduction in maternal mortality rate across the country.

“Based on the 2013 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey figures, 111 women die everyday during children birth and from pregnancy-related complications. The awareness should facilitate the teaching of the implant contraceptives.

“There is a scientific evidence that 30 per cent of maternal death can be prevented by increasing access to an uptake of contraceptives. We should further encourage midwifery education in Nigeria. The pre-service training is critical in sustained strengthening of a trained workforce.

“Investment in midwifery is indispensable for us to make a difference in reducing maternal mortality rate in the country,” she stressed.

Earlier in her remarks, the Resident Representatives of UNFPA, Mrs. Ndalovu, said the passion of her organisation was to save lives of the newborns and their mothers.

She urged the government, private sector, traditional rulers, health-care workers to help make the changes that would translate into positive contribution to Nigeria’s economic development by saving the lives of the estimated111women that die during child delivery.

She pledged the unflinching commitment of the UNFPA to support the government, partner with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in capacity building and provision of modern equipment to reduce preventable deaths among women and children.

Also, the Chairman, Board of NMCN, Alhaji Mustapha Jumare commended the laudable initiatives of Mrs Saraki, UNFPA and development partners towards saving the lives of newborns and their mothers.

He pledged continued partnership with all stakeholders to make efficient health care a reality for every woman in Nigeria.