Nigeria: The emergency facility saving mothers and babies every day

Despite some progress over the past decades, Nigeria still grapples with some of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the world. According to estimates from the United Nations, the country’s maternal mortality rate stands at 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births— the third highest globally. Neonatal mortality is equally dire, with approximately 270,000 babies dying at birth in Nigeria.

Borno state in northeastern Nigeria is among those with particularly high mortality rates. ​ To address this silent crisis, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) launched a programme in Maiduguri in 2022. This initiative aimed to enhance maternal and childcare by supporting existing maternity facilities while building and equipping an emergency obstetric and newborn care centre. The Kushari Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEMONC) facility opened its doors in June 2024 with 30 beds and the capacity to triple this bed capacity over time. The referral facility provides free, life-saving care for pregnancy-related complications such as pre-eclampsia, pre-term or obstructed delivery and postpartum hemorrhage.

A growing, sustainable impact
​Operated by the Borno Ministry of health with support from MSF, the Kushari CEMONC is the only free, specialized referral facility of its kind in the region. It serves as a critical step toward reducing the staggering maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Maiduguri.

In its first six months, the facility has seen a steady rise in admissions, notably during and after the massive flooding that affected the city in September and October in 2024. ​

Most of the patients admitted to Kushari are referred from the 11 basic maternal and obstetric facilities supported by MSF in Maiduguri. But because a vast number of women in Maiduguri continue to give birth at home, many patients with complications do not reach the facilities - and sometimes die at home or arrive too late. This has led MSF to promote links between these maternity units and traditional birth attendants to encourage women to seek care in time, rather than waiting for problems to arise. ​ This holistic approach aims to build community trust and ensure long-term sustainability.

Buidling for the future
​From the onset, the Kushari CEMONC has been integrated into the public health system. Most staff members are from the Ministry of Health, with MSF teams providing financial support and specialised, medical training. This collaboration and the active investment of authorities in the project ensure that Borno State’s Ministry of Health can fully take over the facility within five years.

However, reducing maternal and neonatal mortality will require more investment to improve access to healthcare in Borno, including antenatal care, while addressing exacerbating factors such as the alarmingly high rates of malnutrition among pregnant women and mothers.