20,811 Nigerian women, children died in nine months — Report

 

 

Nigeria recorded an estimated 20,811 maternal, neonatal, and under-five deaths between January and September 2025.

This is according to the 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics Report released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The data come at a time when the nation continues to rank among the countries with the highest maternal and child mortality burdens globally, a challenge often linked to inadequate healthcare access, shortages of skilled health workers, weak referral systems, and delays in seeking or receiving care.

According to the World Health Organization, maternal deaths refer to the annual number of female deaths from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management, excluding accidental or incidental causes, during pregnancy and childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy.

Neonatal death refers to the death of a live-born infant, regardless of gestational age at birth, within the first 28 completed days of life, while UNICEF describes under-five mortality rate as the probability that a newborn would die before reaching exactly five years of age.

The 2025 Nigeria Health Statistics Report indicated that data from the District Health Information System 2 showed that, in the first quarter of the year (January to March), the country recorded 1,244 maternal deaths, 1,706 neonatal deaths, and 3,820 under-five deaths.

In the second quarter (April to June), the country recorded 1,232 maternal deaths, 1,809 neonatal deaths, and 3,672 under-five deaths, while it recorded 1,213 maternal deaths, 1,900 neonatal deaths, and 4,215 under-five deaths in the third quarter (July to September).

“Between January and September 2025, reported maternal, neonatal, and under-five deaths showed modest fluctuations across quarters. Maternal deaths declined slightly from 1,244 in Q1 to 1,213 in Q3.”

Neonatal deaths increased from 1,706 in Q1 to 1,900 in Q3, while under-five deaths increased from 3,820 in Q1 to 3,672 in Q2 before rising to 4,215 in Q3. Overall, maternal deaths showed a gradual decline, neonatal deaths rose steadily, and under-five deaths increased notably in Q3,” the report stated.

Data from 2020 to 2025 revealed a fluctuating trend in maternal deaths. In 2020, 5,209 mothers died from preventable causes; the number rose to 5,837 in 2021, then dropped to 4,932 in 2022 and 4,239 in 2023. It increased again to 5,391 in 2024, while 3,689 maternal deaths have been recorded so far in 2025.

“Reported maternal deaths fluctuated between 2020 and 2025. The highest number was recorded in 2021 (5,837), followed by 2024 (5,391). The lowest number was reported in 2025 (3,689), representing a decline from 5,208 in 2020. Both reports from the states (self-reports) and the 2019 Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) Study show similar patterns in the causes of death among neonates and children under five, mainly birth asphyxia, prematurity, infections, malaria, diarrhoea, and malnutrition. The key difference is that VASA 2019 captures a broader range of causes.

“Maternal complications and cardiovascular diseases are reported as the leading causes of adult deaths in health facilities, followed by malaria, cancer, and HIV/AIDS,” it added.

Self-reported data from health facilities across the country showed that the top 10 leading causes of maternal deaths are maternal complications, cardiovascular diseases, malaria, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus, sepsis, anaemia, tuberculosis, and neonatal complications.

The top 10 causes of neonatal deaths (0–28 days) are birth asphyxia (intrapartum injury), neonatal disorders, congenital anomalies, neonatal tetanus, prematurity, neonatal jaundice, neonatal sepsis, acute respiratory infections, birth complications, and low birth weight, according to self-reported data from health facilities.

The data also list the top 10 causes of neonatal and under-five deaths as diarrhoea, malnutrition, pneumonia/acute respiratory infections, anaemia, meningitis, sepsis, severe malnutrition or hunger, septicaemia, tetanus, and hypoxaemia.