Aaron Bawala (Lead writer)
When my wife went into labour at night in June 2025, I was fortunate to be there to support her. As the hours passed, I watched her endure the excruciating pain of labour contractions. The experience was both humbling and terrifying, but amidst it all, I felt deeply grateful that I was there to support her. Yet, even in that small moment of gratitude, something troubling caught my attention.
Across the ward, several women laboured alone, with no partner to hold their hands and whisper courage into their ears, and for others, not even a familiar face. The only voices that filled the air were those of labour pains and occasional, intermittent voices of nurses and attendants, often sharp, impatient, or dismissive. My wife admitted that my presence made a huge difference in helping her navigate through what she describes as “a torturous moment of labour.”
The ill-treatment of women during childbirth is not just a national problem, it happens around the world. It is particularly common in low and middle-income countries, where hospitals are often understaffed, and health challenges are already high. Many women are treated poorly because of their socio-economic background, whether they are poor, uneducated, or alone.
This kind of treatment does more than hurt their dignity; it makes women lose trust in the health system.
I left the hospital that day, wondering and deep in thought, what would have happened if I had not been there with her. How many others, without such support, are left to face childbirth alone? This troubling experience mirrors the reality of health workers’ neglect that countless patients face across Nigeria. This is not an isolated incident; the data paints an even clearer picture.
The Numbers Behind the Neglect
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria records 993 deaths per 100,000 live births. In addition, a survey conducted across tertiary hospitals in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi state, reported a 47.6% prevalence of maternity care abuse. A further survey conducted at the University Teaching Hospital, Benin, revealed 36.5% of patients being disrespected and abused, and a record high 87% prevalence of abuse perpetrated by nurses and midwives was reported in Lagos State hospitals.
Similarly, during a recent town hall meeting organised by Nigeria Health Watch at Bunkure Local Government Area (LGA), Kano State, women voiced their frustrations about the poor treatment they often received from health workers during childbirth. The conversation revealed that these experiences are not isolated but re-echo a pattern of neglect and poor health workers’ attitudes.
A Community Health report from Shaba Woshi in Niger State also stated that most women would rather patronise Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) who show more empathy than visit health facilities for deliveries.
The consolidation of the various qualitative and quantitative data above is interconnected, revealing that it is not just the complications themselves that lead to maternal deaths, but the silence, delay and disregard from the very people meant to help. These statistics represent mothers, sisters, and daughters whose deaths could have been prevented if only health workers had acted with empathy and urgency.
However, it must be acknowledged that health workers face systemic issues that contribute to this crisis. Nigeria is currently facing an exodus of health workers, with the current doctor-to-patient ratio at 1:9083. This far exceeds the recommended 1:600, increasing burnout among health workers who remain. Ethics and accountability must guide service delivery to protect the most vulnerable who find themselves at the receiving end of these systemic failures. Overstretched staff, combined with poor wages and limited resources, often translates into frustration that is transferred to patients.
Yet, this does not excuse negligence but highlights the urgent need for enhancing training and support for frontline health workers.
In healthcare, empathy is not optional; it saves lives. A health worker who listens, believes a patient’s pain, and responds quickly can mean the difference between recovery and tragedy.
The WHO has repeatedly emphasised the importance of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC), showing that women who feel disrespected or neglected during childbirth are less likely to return to facilities in future pregnancies. Fear of poor treatment keeps many away from skilled care, reinforcing cycles of preventable deaths.
A Call for Change
The Nigerian government must invest in training and recruiting more health professionals, while also instituting a structure to ensure oversight for accountability, as well as performance monitoring. Community-led structures like the Ward Development Committees (WDC) have shown promise in bridging existing gaps around poor health workers’ attitudes. Strengthening these structures in health facilities across the country will be effective and proficient in ensuring health workers are always held accountable.
Instituting strong health worker ethics and the Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM) principles across facilities is critical. It would mean every woman is entitled to respectful, dignified, and timely care and can demand it. This must be accompanied by ethics training and accountability measures. Regular training should remind health workers that the lives in their hands are not statistics, but people with families and futures. Where negligence occurs, disciplinary processes must follow.
At the same time, men must step forward as allies, and women should not face childbirth alone. When women are accompanied by other supportive companions, whether spouses, family members or friends, health workers often respond better, and women feel more supported. Sensitisation campaigns need to continue breaking cultural barriers that discourage male involvement.
Above all, we must remember that many health workers are deeply committed. Many dedicate their lives to saving others, working long hours under difficult conditions. They deserve recognition, resources, and respect.
Moving Towards Respectful Care
After six long hours of vigil and labour, my wife gave birth to our adorable princess, Owusonabi– which means “God will keep” in Alago language from Nasarawa State. She arrived at the early hours of the morning on my birthday. It was surreal and the best feeling I ever felt or imagined. However, that night in the hospital, I saw more than just a delivery ward. I saw women left to battle pain and fear alone.
For every statistic, there is a name, a family, and a story cut short. Change is possible, but only if we act with urgency, compassion, and accountability. Nigeria cannot afford to let compassion be the missing ingredient in our hospitals; therefore, we move towards a health system where every woman and child, whether accompanied by a companion or not, receives timely, respectful, and dignified care.