Oladapo-Alabi Ladipo, the president emeritus of the Association for Reproductive and Family Health, says Nigeria is among the countries with the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world.

Mr Ladipo said this in Abuja on Thursday during the sixth Local Organising Committee meeting ahead of the eighth Nigeria  Family Planning Conference slated for December 4 and 6.

He said if the concept of family planning were promoted in the country, it would help reduce maternal mortality among women. He said family planning would help to reduce the high rate of pregnancies among women, adding that many women and girls usually got pregnant at the ages of 18, 16 and below.

“We are losing women and they are dying silently in the rural areas and even in urban areas because of our dysfunctional healthcare system. Family planning can help to improve the quality of life and save more mothers from dying unnecessarily. 

“With family planning, you will reduce all the high-risk pregnancies that women usually have. With family planning, it will assist the government to plan very well for its citizens,” Mr Ladipo said.

(NAN)