The Mission

The Maternal and Fetal Health Organization (MAFEHO) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with an overarching goal of reducing maternal and perinatal mortality in Nigeria through public enlightenment, training of health care workers and operational research.

The organization was formed in 2007 under the leadership of Dr Oluwafemi Kuti, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and leading Nigerian fetomaternal medicine specialist, to address the high rate of maternal and newborn deaths in a country where more than half of its women do not receive adequate antenatal care, where 66 percent of births occur in the home, and where the risk of dying in pregnancy is 1 in 16 as compared to 1 in 3,500 in the United States of America.

Background of the Problem

Nigeria, located in the Sub-Saharan region of the continent, is the largest nation in Africa. With a population of more than 150 million, the current maternal mortality ratio is 800 per 100,000 births and the perinatal mortality rate is 77 per 1000 births. Nigeria is second only to India in the global burden of maternal deaths and fourth in the global ranking of newborn death rates. Yet, prior to the founding of the Maternal and Fetal Health Organization, no other NGO in Nigeria was primarily focused on addressing this problem.

The main causes of these colossal and highly preventable losses of lives are ignorance and poor quality of care. Mothers are unaware of the danger signs of pregnancy and labor; and even when they recognize that there is a problem they do not know where to seek appropriate medical help. Of those who are able to make it to health facilities, many still die from poor quality of care.

The Mafeho Intervention

MAFEHO developed a strategic plan which reflects the principles of thinking globally and acting locally with impact upon pregnancy and delivery at the community level. In 2007, the Maternal and Fetal Health Organization was registered with the Ondo State Government and began a series of presentations to physicians and governmental policy makers within Nigeria. MAFEHO also organized health symposia on safe delivery care and pregnancy care to women in Ondo area churches and in the Ondo Town Hall. Dr. Kuti’s passion and commitment to this cause was soon noted by the state government and professional organizations.

Interest in Safe Motherhood spread, and community and town hall meetings were requested in other states. The message was simple yet had clarity that resonated with pregnant mothers: that labor is a journey, and that the body (“vehicle”) must be ready for the trip and have a skilled “driver” to help navigate the journey or delivery of a healthy baby.

In order to effectively expand the program and serve more families during the years ahead, MAFEHO is now fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Reg. No: CAC/IT/NO 31628). The organization plans to geometrically expand the Safe Motherhood outreach through

Basic Development Stages for Every Project

  • Step 1
    Mobilization of community based volunteers
  • Step 2
    Seminars and a radio campaign that to educate women in rural areas. This approach is important in part because it allows intergenerational sharing of information; and can change the perspective of grandmothers, grandfathers and fathers... as well as future young mothers in Nigeria.
  • Step 3
    Bereavement support for mothers of stillbirths.
  • Step 4
    Evaluation of interventions and outcomes in maternal and fetal mortality for targeted states with carefully documented baseline and tracked research indicators determined by a group of medical and scientific advisors to the project.