: Impact of Flooding on Maternal Mortality in Vulnerable Communities of Northern Nigeria: A Community-Based Study in Jigawa State
1
Public Health, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria
2
Synergy Empowerment Impact Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria
3
Physiotherapy, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A433
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Maternal mortality remains a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa 1. Environmental hazards such as flooding increasingly exacerbate existing health system weaknesses, disproportionately affecting pregnant women in vulnerable rural communities2. Northern Nigeria experiences recurrent seasonal flooding that disrupts access to maternal healthcare services, yet empirical evidence linking flooding to maternal mortality remains limited3.
METHODS:
A descriptive cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted in flood-prone communities of Gwaram Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria. Quantitative data were collected from 168 women aged 15–49 years who had experienced pregnancy within the past five years, using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with women and key informant interviews with healthcare workers and community leaders. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically.
RESULTS:
More than half of respondents (54.8%) reported that access to maternal healthcare services was adversely affected during flood periods. Severe flooding was significantly associated with poor access to maternal health services (p=0.003). Women residing farther than five kilometers from health facilities were nearly four times more likely to experience poor access to care (adjusted odds ratio 3.97; 95% confidence interval 1.38–11.40). Flooding was significantly associated with increased maternal complications, including severe bleeding, hypertensive disorders, and maternal deaths (p=0.023). Qualitative findings highlighted road inaccessibility, transportation challenges, health facility flooding, and staff shortages as major contributors to delays in seeking, reaching, and receiving maternal care.
CONCLUSIONS:
Flooding significantly disrupts access to maternal healthcare services and contributes to increased maternal complications and deaths in vulnerable rural communities. Integrating maternal health services into disaster preparedness, strengthening flood-resilient health infrastructure, and improving emergency transport systems are critical to reducing maternal mortality in flood-prone settings.
Maternal mortality remains a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa 1. Environmental hazards such as flooding increasingly exacerbate existing health system weaknesses, disproportionately affecting pregnant women in vulnerable rural communities2. Northern Nigeria experiences recurrent seasonal flooding that disrupts access to maternal healthcare services, yet empirical evidence linking flooding to maternal mortality remains limited3.
METHODS:
A descriptive cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted in flood-prone communities of Gwaram Local Government Area, Jigawa State, Nigeria. Quantitative data were collected from 168 women aged 15–49 years who had experienced pregnancy within the past five years, using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with women and key informant interviews with healthcare workers and community leaders. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically.
RESULTS:
More than half of respondents (54.8%) reported that access to maternal healthcare services was adversely affected during flood periods. Severe flooding was significantly associated with poor access to maternal health services (p=0.003). Women residing farther than five kilometers from health facilities were nearly four times more likely to experience poor access to care (adjusted odds ratio 3.97; 95% confidence interval 1.38–11.40). Flooding was significantly associated with increased maternal complications, including severe bleeding, hypertensive disorders, and maternal deaths (p=0.023). Qualitative findings highlighted road inaccessibility, transportation challenges, health facility flooding, and staff shortages as major contributors to delays in seeking, reaching, and receiving maternal care.
CONCLUSIONS:
Flooding significantly disrupts access to maternal healthcare services and contributes to increased maternal complications and deaths in vulnerable rural communities. Integrating maternal health services into disaster preparedness, strengthening flood-resilient health infrastructure, and improving emergency transport systems are critical to reducing maternal mortality in flood-prone settings.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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