RC Ibadan Oritamefa Organises Maternal Mortality Lecture as President Jimoh Urges Govt to Post Qualified Doctors, Equip Primary Health Centres

The President of the Rotary Club of Ibadan Oritamefa, Rotarian Ojo Jimoh, on Thursday called on government at all levels to tackle maternal mortality in Nigeria by deploying qualified doctors and other skilled health professionals to primary health centres and equipping the facilities with modern maternal care equipment.
Rotarian Jimoh made the call at a maternal mortality lecture organised by the club during it’s weekly meeting on Thursday July 9th, 2026 .
The lecture which was delivered by medical expert Dr. Idowu Olowokere the Chief Medical Director of God’s Knot Hospital had the theme ” Maternal Mortality in Nigeria : Causes, Consequences and Solutions” is part of activities of the Club in marking July, Rotary International’s Maternal and Child Health Month.

Rotarian Jimoh said Nigeria could not win the battle against maternal mortality if pregnant women, especially those in rural and low-income communities, continue to rely on poorly equipped primary healthcare centres manned by unqualified personnel.
“It is not enough to have structures called primary health centres in our communities. Those centres must be functional, properly equipped and manned by qualified doctors and other trained personnel. Pregnant women deserve access to skilled care, not treatment from unqualified hands,” Rotarian Jimoh said.
Rotarian Jimoh lamented that many primary healthcare centres across the country are unable to provide effective maternal healthcare because they lack modern facilities, essential drugs, maternity care equipment, emergency response tools and trained personnel capable of handling pregnancy-related complications.
According to Rotarian Jimoh , many of the centres are run largely by auxiliary nurses and other unqualified personnel, while qualified doctors, certified midwives and trained maternal health professionals are absent.
Rotarian Jimoh said the situation contributes significantly to avoidable maternal and child deaths, especially when women develop complications during labour and require urgent expert care.
He therefore urged government to move beyond merely constructing or renovating health centres and ensure that they are fully equipped and adequately staffed with competent healthcare professionals.
President Jimoh maintained that reducing maternal mortality would require deliberate investment in healthcare at the grassroots, where many vulnerable women seek medical attention before, during and after childbirth.
Beyond the lecture, Rotarian Jimoh disclosed that the Rotary Club of Ibadan Oritamefa is collaborating with other Rotary clubs to donate maternal and child care kits to selected primary health centres in Ibadan as part of efforts to support maternal and child healthcare and complement government intervention in the sector.
“Each of the PHCs will get nothing less than N500,000 worth of maternal and child care kits. Our aim is to collaborate with government to ensure that maternal mortality becomes a thing of the past in Nigeria,. This intervention forms part of the club’s maternal and child health project for the Rotary month and is aimed at improving care for pregnant women, nursing mothers and newborns at the grassroots level”. He said .
Rotarian Jimoh added that Rotary’s intervention in maternal and child healthcare goes beyond advocacy and lectures, noting that the donation of kits is designed to provide practical support to health facilities and vulnerable mothers who depend on public healthcare services.
Earlier in his lecture, Dr. Idowu Olowokere described maternal mortality as the death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after delivery as a result of complications related to pregnancy or its management.
Giving the causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria, Dr. Olowokere identified severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, obstructed labour, unsafe abortions, poor access to skilled healthcare services and inadequate awareness as some of the major causes of maternal mortality.
He said ” Maternal mortality has devastating consequences for children, families and the nation, as children who lose their mothers are often exposed to malnutrition, emotional trauma, poor health and lack of proper care, while families face grief, hardship and social dislocation”.
He added that the country also loses productive women whose contributions to their homes, communities and the economy are cut short by preventable pregnancy-related deaths.
Dr. Olowokere called for improved access to antenatal care, stronger referral systems, emergency obstetric services, public enlightenment and sustained investment in maternal and child healthcare.
He also applauded Rotary International for its humanitarian interventions across the world, particularly in maternal and child health, and commended the Rotary Club of Ibadan Oritamefa for organising the lecture to raise awareness on a critical public health issue.
“No woman should lose her life trying to bring life into this world,” he said.
Guests and Rotarians who attended the lecture described the lecture as educative and insightful, while Rotarian Jimoh commended Dr.Olowokere for delivering the lecture, responding to questions from participants and making a generous donation to support the club’s projects.

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