Mission Houses and Nigeria’s Rising Maternal Deaths

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By Editorial Team

Across Nigeria today, a silent but devastating crisis is claiming the lives of women and babies. In many towns and villages, unregulated maternity homes popularly called mission houses and the traditional “Iya Agbebi” birth centres are thriving, even though most of the operators are neither trained nor qualified to provide medical care. These centres continue to pose a deadly risk because they rely more on spirituality than science, leaving countless families in grief.

Many of the women who patronize these centres do so out of poverty. The cost of hospital care remains beyond the reach of millions, pushing them into the arms of cheaper but unsafe alternatives. Others are driven by ignorance and religious brainwashing, believing mission houses offer a safer and more “Godly” option than hospitals. Tragically, some even abandon hospitals after being advised by doctors to undergo a Caesarean Section (CS), a medically necessary procedure in complicated pregnancies. Instead of seeing CS as a lifesaving option, many are wrongly told it is a spiritual attack, and they run to prayer houses in search of “miracle births.”

The consequences are heartbreaking. Numerous women and babies lose their lives in the struggle between faith and medicine. Even educated Nigerians with exposure to modern healthcare sometimes choose spirituality over science, proving that this menace is not restricted to the poor or unlettered.

“Iya Agbebi” attendants are also guilty of worsening the problem. Many delay transferring complicated cases to hospitals until it is far too late, often after precious time has been lost. By the time mothers and babies are rushed to proper health facilities, doctors can do little to save them. This dangerous delay has turned what should be a moment of joy into tears in many homes.

Unfortunately, even within hospitals, the problem is not entirely absent. Some nurses during antenatal sessions introduce prayer lines where they demonize Caesarean Section, praying against it as though it were an evil outcome. Instead of preparing expectant mothers for all possible delivery scenarios, they contribute to fear and misconceptions. By discouraging women from accepting medically necessary procedures, they compromise their professional ethics and worsen the very crisis they are meant to prevent.

This situation calls for urgent government action. First, health authorities must regulate mission houses and traditional birth centres. Anyone attending to pregnant women must be a trained professional, properly registered with the appropriate bodies, and equipped with the necessary tools. Churches, mosques, and other religious groups running maternity services should not be allowed to operate without government approval and oversight. Training must also emphasize the importance of timely referral — once a case is beyond their ability, it should be quickly handed over to specialists in hospitals.

Secondly, hospital management must be held accountable for the actions of their staff. Nurses and health workers who use antenatal platforms to preach against CS or spread fear should be sanctioned. Professional ethics must never be compromised with spiritual sentiments. Instead, health workers should provide honest, science-based education to mothers, preparing them psychologically and emotionally for all safe delivery options.

Nigeria cannot continue to lose mothers and babies to ignorance, poverty, and unregulated practices. Maternal health must be treated as a national emergency. Government must invest more in affordable healthcare, ensure wider health insurance coverage, and intensify public enlightenment campaigns to counter myths surrounding childbirth. Communities, religious leaders, and traditional institutions must also take responsibility by discouraging unsafe practices.

Every childbirth should be a moment of joy, not a gamble with life. Until Nigeria confronts and regulates mission houses and untrained birth attendants, we will keep wasting lives unnecessarily. The time to act is now.