FG announces free cesarean sections for pregnant women

The Nigerian government has announced that Cesarean 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, Professor Muhammad Pate, made this known at the launch of the programme in Abuja on Thursday.

The initiative was launched on the second day of an ongoing three-day Nigeria Health Sector-Wide Joint Annual Review in Abuja.

Pate 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 Cesarean Sections (C-section) for all Nigerian women who need them will now be FREE!”

According to the post, Mr Pate noted that no woman should lose her life simply because she cannot afford a C-section.

On his X handle, the minister noted that a key aspect of the initiative is the provision of free C-sections for poor and vulnerable women who meet the eligibility criteria.

He said this coverage extends to services offered in both public and private facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

“By removing financial barriers to this life-saving procedure, we ensure that no woman in need is denied critical care due to cost,” he said.

A Cesarean section is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through an incision in the abdomen and uterus, typically when healthcare providers determine it’s safer for the mother, baby, or both.

Despite its necessity in many cases, the high cost of a C-section in Nigeria has long been a major barrier, preventing many women from accessing this critical care during childbirth.

The cost of a C-section in some private hospitals in Nigeria ranges from N500,000 to N1,000,000, an amount that is often out of reach for women, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds.

Meanwhile, a C-Section in government-owned hospitals also costs about N200,000.

This financial burden not only jeopardises the health of mothers and babies but also perpetuates the inequality in access to maternal healthcare services.

The coordinating minister said maternal mortality remains unacceptably high, with 172 LGAs accounting for over 50 per cent of maternal deaths in the country.

Credit: Premium Times