Nigeria Must Embrace Climate-Resilient Healthcare to Protect Mothers
Adanna Opara (Lead Writer)
Climate change has been identified as one of the most significant global health threats, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. While much attention is given to its impact on agriculture, infrastructure, and general health, the devastating impact of climate change on maternal health remains under-explored despite its critical importance.
Climate change poses significant threats to maternal health, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, preterm birth, and stillbirth. Heatwaves can lead to dehydration, respiratory issues and other heat related illness. With a maternal mortality ratio of 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births in Nigeria, torrential rain fall, flooding, and altered disease patterns further strain the healthcare system, compromising pregnancy and childbirth outcomes. Climate change poses risks that worsen physical and mental health vulnerabilities for mothers and newborns, postpartum.
The 10th edition of The Future of Health Conference, organised by Nigeria Health Watch and supported by MSD for Mothers, themed “From Evidence to Action: Building Resilience at the Climate-Health Nexus,” focused on the impact of climate change on health, nutrition, food security and global health security. In his keynote address, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, noted that the challenge posed by climate change affects health in multiple ways, from disruptions to food systems, which can lead to malnutrition to changing disease patterns as a result of flooding or drought. He emphasised that while the challenge of climate change is global, the solution to address it needs to be localised to our specific context and resources and requires multisectoral partnerships and collaboration to build climate-resilient health systems.
The MSD for Mothers supported side event focused on the intersection of climate change and maternal health, themed “Climate Change and Maternal Health: Protecting Mothers in a Changing Climate.” The event explored the impact of climate change on the health of expectant and new mothers and provided a platform to discuss localised strategies for mitigating climate-related risks to mothers and children.
Climate change’s impact on maternal health
Rising temperatures contribute to heat stress among pregnant women, which can lead to adverse outcomes like preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth. Research shows that for each 1°C increase in temperature, there is a 5 per cent rise in preterm birth rates. Floods, droughts and storms have also become more frequent, damaging essential infrastructure for maternal care. This leads to disruptions that limit access to antenatal and prenatal care, as well as access to skilled birth attendants, which are critical for safe pregnancies and deliveries. For Nigerian women, where access is already low, such disruptions increase risks.
The expert panel for the side event included Professor Christopher O. Aimakhu, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, Professor of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and 2nd Vice President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON); Dr Samuel Oyeniyi, Director of Safe Motherhood, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW); Dr. Chukwunonso Nwaokorie, Project Director, Smiles for Mothers Project at the Solina Centre for International Development and Research; Chiagozie Abiakam, Associate Manager, mDoc Healthcare; and Faithfulness Oyinloye, Officer of the Sustainability & ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Unit at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
Panelists highlighted the increased susceptibility of pregnant women to climate-sensitive diseases, which are posing heightened risks for pregnant women globally. Faithfulness Oyinloye noted that pregnant women are more susceptible to the effects of climate change due to their lowered immunity during pregnancy. She also noted that displacement caused by flooding can lead to trauma, stress, anxiety, and depression among pregnant women, predisposing them to other health complications such as high blood pressure and climate-induced malnutrition, which can lead to increased risks of pregnancy complications. She explained that droughts and floods have heightened food insecurity in Nigeria, affecting approximately 130 million people including pregnant women and mothers, leading to malnutrition which raises risks of complications such as low birth weight, stillbirth, and fetal growth retardation. Currently, at least 12 million children under 5 years are stunted and about half of those became stunted during pregnancy or the first six months of life when a child is fully dependent on maternal nutrition.
Localised solutions are key to mitigating the impact of climate change on maternal health
To improve nutrition for women, Chiagozie Abiakam spoke about a solution implemented by mDoc named “Garden-in-a-Box”, which are vegetable seeds enhanced with fertilizers, and given to women to start a home garden. The seeds can be grown and could feed a family of four for one month. She also discussed how mDoc leverages AI technology to improve access to care for women of reproductive age through the CompleteHealth™ and NaviHealth.ai platforms. Both solutions are relevant where climate has led to environmental challenges that limit access to care.
Professor Christopher Aimakhu further drew attention to climate-induced stress on pregnant women, highlighting its devastating consequences. He highlighted “pregnancy-induced stress” as an identified, leading cause of death, adding that every week pregnant women are diagnosed with high blood pressure. He advocated for mental health interventions for pregnant women to be able to build their resilience in the face of climate-induced threats.
Dr. Chukwunonso Nwaokorie discussed the introduction of a public-access priced heat stable uterotonic to Nigeria, a climate-resilient maternal health intervention, as part of the Smile for Mothers project aimed at implementing WHO postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) prevention guidelines. Heat-stable uterotonics do not require cold-chain transportation and storage, remain potent when exposed to rising temperatures and are effective in preventing PPH, especially in situations where the quality of other medicines that require an effective cold chain cannot be guaranteed.
Key actions to protect mothers in the face of a changing climate
Protecting mothers and pregnant women in the face of climate change requires collaborative approaches involving governments, healthcare systems, communities, and individual actions. Hence, panelists from the MSD for Mothers’ side event underlined eight actionable recommendations:
- Raising climate change awareness among pregnant women and communities
To build resilience, there is a need to democratise the conversation around climate change and ensure that pregnant women and their communities understand what it is, its impact on health, and ways to reduce its effects. Digital tools like CompleteHealth™ can be used to build women’s digital literacy and provide guidance on adequate hydration, nutrition, minimising heat exposure, and preventing vector-borne diseases by using treated bed nets and insect repellents.
2. Building partnerships to strengthen advocacy efforts
Collaboration is vital for effective advocacy. Stakeholders should unite to push for the full implementation of national strategies like the National Climate Change Policy and the National Safe Motherhood Strategy, which address climate resilience in healthcare.
3. Investing in climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure
Healthcare facilities need to be adaptable to climate challenges, with cooling systems, clean water, and alternative power supplies such as solar power to protect mothers during extreme weather events. Resilient infrastructure can sustain safer environments for mothers and newborns.
4. Equipping healthcare workers to manage climate-related health risks
Training healthcare providers to recognise and respond to climate-induced health risks will improve outcomes. Implementing the National Policy on Health Workforce Migration will also help retain skilled workers in high-need areas, enhancing the continuity of care for pregnant women.
5. Improving access to and affordability of maternal healthcare
Expanding healthcare facilities to underserved areas and using mobile clinics to reach remote communities will improve access. Climate-resilient technology, such as drones for delivering essential supplies and heat-stable commodities like those to prevent postpartum haemmorhage, can also help make maternal health services more accessible and affordable.
6. Regularly collecting and analysing climate data for evidence-based decisions
Monitoring climate data and linking it to maternal health outcomes can inform policies and drive investments in climate-resilient projects. Data-driven insights enable better resource allocation to protect maternal health in vulnerable regions.
7. Enhancing mental health support for mothers in climate-affected areas
Provide mental health support for pregnant women, especially in climate-prone or climate-affected regions. Community counselling, support groups, and telemedicine options can help alleviate climate-induced stress, anxiety and depression, contributing to improved maternal health outcomes.
8. Strengthening food security programs targeted at pregnant women
Malnutrition is a major risk for pregnant women in climate-affected areas. Support food assistance programs that prioritise pregnant women, particularly those in drought- or flood-prone areas, ensuring access to nutritious food and counselling for healthier pregnancies.
As the world grapples with the challenges posed by climate change, safeguarding maternal health must be central to climate resilience efforts. Addressing the unique vulnerabilities of pregnant women and newborns requires multi-level action — from healthcare providers and policymakers to communities.
Nigeria and other climate-vulnerable countries must work together to implement these recommendations to create safer outcomes for mothers and babies. Protecting maternal health against climate-related risks is essential to fostering a future where all mothers can thrive despite environmental challenges. To listen to the side event recording, click here.
This article and the reported event was supported by funding from MSD, through MSD for Mothers, the company’s global initiative to help create a world where no woman has to die while giving life. MSD for Mothers is an initiative of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, U.S.A
