POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS IMPACT ON THE WELL-BEING OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND MOTHERS: INSIGHTS FROM THE 2018 NIGERIA DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEY

Abstract

The study assessed maternal health, a critical public health issue that serves as one of the challenges in Nigeria's health sector with Nigeria having the highest maternal mortality and morbidity at the global comparison. Maternal health refers to women's " health during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum”. Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Rates in Nigeria are the highest among the countries globally (Azuh et al., 2017). The study examined the Population Characteristics shaping maternal health outcomes, exploring data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The study systematically evaluates vital population characteristics variables such as Educational Attainment, Socioeconomic Status/Wealth Index, and Geographical Location, which significantly influence access to healthcare services, antenatal care (ANC) utilization, and the overall incidence of Maternal Mortality (MM). Through a laborious analysis of these factors, the study highlights the disparities in maternal health outcomes across different demographic groups and regions in Nigeria. The study offered policy recommendations, such as strengthening maternal health education and awareness, collaborating with NGOs and local leaders to conduct workshops on the importance of antenatal care (ANC), birth preparedness, and recognizing danger signs during pregnancy, and enhancing economic support for vulnerable women. Expanding social protection programs, such as conditional cash transfers, can effectively subsidize maternal healthcare costs for low-income women, as noted by the World Health Organization and World Bank Group (2023). In addition, strengthening Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover ANC, delivery, and emergency obstetric care for rural populations is recommended (Amedari & Ejidike, 2021). Improving healthcare infrastructure in rural areas is another vital component of these recommendations. Increasing funding for primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in rural regions will ensure the availability of skilled birth attendants and essential medications (Oluwole et al., 2022).   Increasing access to healthcare services in rural areas and improving the quality of ANC, based on the empirical evidence to address the identified gaps, improve maternal health services, and reduce preventable maternal deaths nationwide. 

Keywords: Demographic determinants, Maternal health, Nigeria, NDHS, Antenatal care, Maternal mortality