Medical experts and stakeholders have called for urgent action to address Nigeria’s high burden of preterm births, warning that survival alone should no longer be regarded as the ultimate goal for babies born prematurely.
They made the call at the 2026 Preterm Summit organised by the Early Births Awareness and Support Foundation (EBAS) in PortHarcourt, with the theme, “Strengthening Preterm Survival in Nigeria: From Access to Outcomes.”
In her keynote address titled “Strengthening Preterm Survival in Nigeria,” Professor Angela Frank-Briggs described preterm birth as a “silent emergency” and called for urgent strengthening of maternal and newborn healthcare systems to reduce preventable deaths and improve the long-term outcomes of premature babies.
Briggs, a paediatric neurologist, said preterm birth should no longer be treated solely as a neonatal issue, noting that it had implications for maternal health, newborn care, the healthcare system, families, the economy and the country’s human capital.
She said the World Health Organisation estimated that about 13.4 million babies were born preterm globally each year, adding that complications from preterm birth remained a leading cause of death among children under five.
According to her, many of the deaths could be prevented through interventions that are already known and cost-effective.
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“Behind every statistic is a mother. Behind every statistic is a father. Behind every statistic is a family waiting anxiously beside an incubator, and behind every statistic is a child whose future should not be estimated by the circumstances of his or her birth,” she said.
Briggs stressed that simply gaining access to a healthcare facility was not enough, noting that the quality of care a mother and baby received after arrival could determine the outcome.
She said facilities providing childbirth services should have skilled birth attendants, functional newborn resuscitation equipment, reliable oxygen supply, infection-control systems, appropriate feeding support and access to kangaroo mother care.
The expert also emphasised the need for timely referral of premature babies from facilities that lacked the capacity to provide the required level of neonatal care.
Briggs illustrated the importance of an effective referral system with the experience of a 700-gram premature baby, who was born at a private facility in Rivers State and later transferred to a better-equipped facility outside the state.
She said the baby’s survival was aided by the availability of a transport incubator and a standby referral system, which enabled his quick transfer to a facility capable of providing specialised care.
“Today, the boy is in the university. We were so worried at that time. As a doctor and a paediatric neurologist, I was wondering whether this child would have cerebral palsy, whether he would walk when he was supposed to, sit when he was supposed to and communicate,” she said.
Briggs, however, warned that discharge from a neonatal unit should not mark the end of care for premature babies, stressing that children born preterm might require continued medical, developmental and family support.
She also called for stronger maternal healthcare services to prevent preterm births, advocating improved preconception care, family planning, adolescent reproductive health education, antenatal care and maternal nutrition.
She urged healthcare providers to prevent and promptly treat infections, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, diabetes and maternal anaemia, while identifying high-risk pregnancies early and ensuring timely referral and quality obstetric care.
Briggs said Nigeria’s challenge was not necessarily the absence of policies but inadequate implementation, urging authorities to translate existing policies into practical interventions at community and healthcare facility levels.
“The challenge is not as if we do not have some of these policies in place. But the challenge we have in our country is implementation. So we must move from policy being on paper to being in practice.
“We must strengthen the entire continuum from the womb to the community, to primary healthcare centres, secondary facilities, tertiary neonatal units and follow-up. The premature baby does not exist in isolation from the mother,” she said.
She also referenced the Nigerian Child Survival Action Plan 2025–2029, saying it promotes a continuum of care from households and communities through primary and higher-level healthcare facilities, while seeking coordinated action to address inequalities in child health outcomes.
Earlier, the founder of EBAS, Mrs Tari Agiobu, said Nigeria’s preterm birth burden demanded urgent attention, noting that about 774,000 babies were born preterm in the country in 2020, according to WHO and UNICEF estimates.
Agiobu said about one in every 10 babies born in Nigeria was estimated to be preterm, adding that the country’s estimated preterm birth rate remained at about 9.9 per cent between 2010 and 2020.
She challenged stakeholders to move beyond statistics and focus on whether premature babies received appropriate care quickly enough to give them a chance not only to survive but also to thrive.
“Today, I don’t want us to simply ask: How many babies are born too soon? I want us to ask: What happens to them when they arrive? Do they get the care they need? Do they get it early enough? Does where a baby is born determine how much of a chance that baby has?” she asked.
Agiobu, who disclosed that she lost a set of twins born prematurely about 10 years ago, said her personal experience had motivated her advocacy for better care and support for premature babies and their families.
“I cannot change what happened to my babies. But I can choose what their lives will mean. And perhaps that is why this conversation matters so deeply to me. But this summit is not about my story. It is about our collective responsibility,” she said.
She urged stakeholders to use the summit to identify gaps in Nigeria’s preterm care system and develop practical solutions to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
Agiobu stressed that survival should be regarded as the beginning of a child’s care journey rather than its conclusion.
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“Let us ask not only how we can help more babies survive, but how we can create the conditions for them to thrive. Because survival should not be the end of the conversation. It should be the beginning,” she said.
A participant, Rebi Alexander, described the summit as impactful, saying she gained valuable knowledge about the kangaroo mother care technique, which she said had benefited her family.
Alexander urged stakeholders to take information on preterm care to communities across the country, particularly areas where mothers and families have limited access to essential knowledge.
She also called attention to the psychological needs of women during and after childbirth, advocating the inclusion of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists in maternal and newborn healthcare support.
The summit ended with two panel sessions during which medical professionals responded to participants’ questions and proffered solutions to challenges affecting preterm survival, maternal care and the long-term wellbeing of premature babies and their families. I can also produce 10 stronger, newspaper-style headlines for this report if you want.
