By Nike Adebowale-Tambe
The Nigerian government has announced that Caesarean sections will now be provided free of charge to women in need, as part of its efforts to reduce the country’s maternal mortality rate.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, announced this during a three-day Nigeria Health Sector-Wide Joint Annual Review in Abuja.
Pate, a professor, said the initiative is an ambitious commitment to reducing maternal and newborn mortality across Nigeria.
A tweet from the official X handle of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare stated: “In a powerful move, Coordinating Minister @muhammadpate just announced that Caesarean Sections for all Nigerian women who need them will now be FREE!”
According to the post, Pate noted that no woman should lose her life simply because she cannot afford a C-section.
The government has not said when this decision will take effect. It is also unclear whether the policy will be implemented in private-owned hospitals.
