Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has called for improved remuneration, working conditions and welfare packages for doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals to encourage them to remain in rural and underserved communities.
The senator representing Kogi Central made the call at the “Unfinished” event organised by Ward-C in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), where she participated in discussions on maternal health, women’s rights and reproductive choices.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said tackling maternal mortality requires more than focusing on statistics, stressing the need to address the realities facing women, children and healthcare workers at the point of care.
She said better welfare for healthcare professionals should form a key part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Infrastructure cannot work without human capital
Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that healthcare infrastructure cannot function effectively without qualified personnel to operate and maintain it.
She questioned whether many rural health facilities have enough personnel and equipment to manage complicated pregnancies and neonatal emergencies.
“When you want to tackle maternal mortality, either speaking from the side of your choice, or a woman who is married, has carried on her baby full term, walks into a hospital, a baby who was born premature and needs access to incubators, oxygen in villages,” she said.
The lawmaker also raised concerns about maintaining critical medical equipment in communities with unreliable electricity.
“Is there electricity? Is there enough electricity in the rural areas to sustain the incubators wherever they are?” she queried.
She stressed that providing equipment alone would not solve the problem, saying facilities also need qualified healthcare professionals capable of operating the equipment and delivering appropriate care.
Akpoti-Uduaghan questions maternal mortality data
The senator also questioned whether existing maternal mortality statistics fully capture the experiences of women in rural communities.
“I don’t think that data is really reflective of the situation in the rural communities. It will probably double up,” she said.
According to her, repeated exposure to maternal deaths in some rural communities could make such tragedies appear normal, while other deaths may go unrecorded.
She called for stronger support systems to give women facing difficult pregnancy-related circumstances access to information, counselling and appropriate assistance.
“Public spaces, you see, the health lines, people down there, sometimes government sponsored, sometimes sponsored by civil societies or charities, willing to help young girls who are confused, lost to make decisions either to abort or those who want to carry the pregnancy full term,” she said.
Senator reflects on reproductive choice
Akpoti-Uduaghan said constructive dialogue had also challenged some of her previously held views on reproductive choice.
“If I myself can be made to tilt from being pro-life to reasonably begin to appreciate the reason for choice, then I think I would say that I would love to support this kind of conversation,” she stated.
She maintained that the welfare and future of children should remain central to discussions around pregnancy and reproductive health.
“If we all agree that the mother is the first parent of the child, then you would also agree that it’s very important to ensure that every child is born into a home, that there is love and there is nurture,” she added.
