Maternal mortality: Bauchi Assembly to criminalize home deliveries, unregulated blood transfusions

….model for women’s rights in Nigeria -Akiyode-Afolabi

By Mustapha Adamu

In a major legislative push to combat soaring maternal mortality rates, the Bauchi State House of Assembly is finalizing a landmark bill that will outlaw home births, penalize anyone blocking pregnant women from accessing healthcare, and shut down illegal clinics across the state.
The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for the Prohibition of Unsafe Childbirth Practices and Unregulated Blood Transfusions in Unregistered Health Institutions in Bauchi State,” mandates that all deliveries take place within registered health facilities under the supervision of skilled attendants.
To fine-tune the bill, lawmakers gathered in Kano over the weekend for a one-day workshop facilitated by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) in collaboration with Amplify Change.
The bill introduces strict legal boundaries and penalties to ensure safer motherhood, mandatory hospital births- outlaws home deliveries and services provided by unskilled or traditional birth attendants (TBAs), criminalizes actions by husbands or community leaders who deliberately block pregnant women from accessing emergency hospital care.
It also seeks ban blood transfusions outside licensed hospitals to stop transmission of diseases and unsafe medical procedures, and safeguards medical personnel who perform lifesaving interventions, including safe medical terminations in severe cases like rape or incest, backed by mandatory counseling and strict survivor confidentiality.
Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, said: “This Bill replaces risk with responsibility. Too many women in Bauchi die from unsafe delivery, delayed emergency care, and unsafe blood.
“Passing this law tells every woman in Bauchi that her life is not a gamble – it is guaranteed by law.”
Speaker Sulaiman lamented that many expectant mothers, driven by poverty, ignorance, or cultural beliefs, continue to patronize unqualified personnel and centers lacking basic hygiene, emergency referral systems, and professional supervision.
The tragic results, he noted, include permanent disabilities, newborn complications, and preventable loss of life.
The Speaker revealed that the bill has already swiftly scaled its first, second, and third readings.
The assembly will host a comprehensive public hearing within the next two weeks to gather final community feedback before passing it into law.
Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Chairman of WARDC, lauded the 10th Bauchi Assembly’s consistency in championing the rights of women and children, naming them the “Number One He-for-She House in Nigeria.”
“Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, and this bill will contribute significantly to reducing those numbers,” Akiyode-Afolabi stated.
She praised the lawmakers for addressing the unchecked activities of unregistered clinics and traditional birth attendants, as well as providing compassionate legal frameworks for survivors of incest and sexual violence.