Child birth: Clerics, children, health experts demand urgent reform of Nigeria’s maternity consent law

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

Church leaders, children, women advocates and healthcare professionals have called on the Federal Government to urgently review Nigeria’s medical consent policies, warning that pregnant women and unborn babies continue to face avoidable deaths because of delays caused by spousal consent requirements during medical emergencies.

The passionate appeal was made Sunday ,during a Children’s Day event organized by the Tent Makers Pastoral Ministries (TMPM) of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) in Abuja, where participants combined celebration with advocacy for child welfare, maternal health and safer learning environments.

Speaking at the event, the Zonal Pastor, Terence Abraham, stressed that children remain the foundation of society and must be nurtured through sound moral, spiritual and educational development.

According to him, investing in children today is critical to securing Nigeria’s future.

“When children are properly nurtured, the nation has a future. A godly child will naturally avoid social vices and grow into a responsible adult capable of contributing positively to society,” he said.

Speakers specifically focused attention on the growing concern over maternal deaths linked to delays in obtaining consent for emergency Caesarean Sections (CS).

Pastor Abraham described the issue as both a humanitarian and moral challenge, urging lawmakers and health regulators to align Nigeria’s policies with global best practices.

“We have come of age. If a woman’s life is in danger and her husband is unavailable, she should be empowered to consent to life-saving treatment. No family should lose a wife or mother because of procedural delays,” he stated.

He further argued that there is no theological basis for opposing medically necessary surgeries.

Citing biblical references, Abraham noted that even God performed the first surgical procedure when He created Eve from Adam’s rib.

“Theologically, a Caesarean Section is not a sin. Saving life must always take precedence over cultural and religious misconceptions,” he added.

Healthcare professionals,Dr. Akinkurolere Isaac Olumide, Senior Registrar, Federal Medical Centre, Keffi and Registrar with Asokoro District hospital, Dr. Kingsley Sunday Azugo, addressed the gathering, respectively.

They described maternal mortality as a national emergency, warning that doctors frequently face heartbreaking situations where women and babies are lost because urgent decisions cannot be made in time.

Dr. Azugo explained that while consent remains an important legal safeguard, emergency situations should permit healthcare workers to act swiftly to save lives.

“A pregnant woman’s death is a calamity not only for her family but for the nation. Doctors should never be forced to watch a woman die while waiting for a signature,” he said.

The expert also urged women to understand their reproductive rights and enroll early for antenatal care to reduce pregnancy-related complications such as hypertension and eclampsia.

In a remarkable display of awareness and civic responsibility, children participating in the programme which earlier featured dabate with participating children speaking for and against CS during childbirth,delivered passionate messages on issues affecting their future.

In an interview,a 10-year old Miss
Treasure Solomon Onuoha,questioned why husbands’signatures were required before their pregnant wives can receive life-saving surgery, especially given that the women are not only adults, and mentally alert but also the patient and the ones feeling the pain.

“We cannot keep losing our mother and babies in this country while we wait for a signature from one heartless man who is not the patient.We just cannot,”she said.

She appealed to the federal government and hospital authorities, to please , update their consent policies , especially in an emergency.

Also speaking,one of the children appealed to government authorities to strengthen security in schools across the country.

“We are not safe in school. Sometimes we hear gunshots around our communities. We want the government to do everything possible to protect us,” the child said.

Others called for immediate reforms to hospital consent policies, arguing that mothers and babies should not continue to die because critical medical decisions are delayed.

“We cannot keep losing our mothers and babies. The government should update the consent policies in hospitals,” another participant urged.

The children also appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue kidnapped children and protect young Nigerians from violence and abductions.

Parents and church members at the event linked rising insecurity, youth crime and social instability to poor parenting and the erosion of moral values.

Eda Foster Nwachukwu, a church member, emphasized that the future of society depends on how children are raised today.

“Many of the problems we see in society today stem from poor foundations. If we train our children properly from an early age, we will build a peaceful and productive society,” he said.

Similarly, Sister Annie Igweze urged parents to become more actively involved in their children’s lives, warning that neglect often exposes young people to negative influences.

“Parents must pay closer attention to their children. If we fail to guide them, society will pay the price tomorrow,” she said.

Participants unanimously urged the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and relevant medical regulatory agencies to review existing consent procedures to ensure that life-saving interventions are not delayed during emergencies.

They argued that while family involvement in medical decisions remains important, preserving human life must remain the highest priority.

The post Child birth: Clerics, children, health experts demand urgent reform of Nigeria’s maternity consent law appeared first on Vanguard News.