A lawmaker in the Edo House of Assembly, Richard Edosa, has identified traditional institutions and churches as major contributors to maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria.

Mr Edosa, a medical doctor and member representing (LP Oredo West), also highlighted lack of knowledge and medical quackery as significant factors driving the alarming rates of mortality among mothers and infants.

The lawmaker made the remarks when a delegation of National Population Commission (NPC) led by Edo federal commissioner Tony Aiyejina visited the assembly’s deputy speaker, Maria Oligbi-Edeko, on Thursday in Benin, the state capital.

The visit by NPC is to inform the lawmakers of the 2024 Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) programme aimed at reducing preventable deaths and the ongoing e-birth registration in the state.

According to Mr Edosa, who chairs the House Committee on Health, childbirth complications claim the lives of 158 women daily due to delays caused by reliance on non-medical advice from churches and traditional practices.

“The traditional institutions and churches also contributed to maternal and infant mortality.

“When an expectant woman is told a baby is not well-positioned for delivery, some women seek prayers or rituals. By the time they return, it’s often too late,” he said.

He commended the NPC’s e-birth registration initiative and emphasised the need for accurate data to protect children aged zero to five years from complex diseases and ensure better planning.

The lawmaker assured of the House’s readiness to support the commission in achieving its goals, noting that data collection was critical for national development and resource allocation.

Earlier, the NPC federal commissioner explained that the e-registration programme would provide children under five with national identification numbers and birth certificates free of charge.

He revealed that the programme, already active in other states, faced delays in Edo due to the recent governorship election but would run until December 31, 2024.

Mr Aiyejina called on lawmakers to use their constituencies to create awareness about the registration and highlighted its benefits for education, healthcare, and social services.

The commissioner also detailed the NPC’s ongoing 2024 VASA programme, which investigates the root causes of deaths among children under five and women of reproductive age across the country.

(NAN)