Medical experts in Gombe State have raised concerns over the increasing cases of preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, describing the condition as one of the leading causes of maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria, particularly in the North-East region.
The concerns were raised during a medical outreach and awareness campaign organised by the Preeclampsia Awareness Initiative Club Gombe to commemorate the 2026 World Preeclampsia Day.
Speaking during the outreach, the Chairperson of the club and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, Dr. Amina Baba, said the condition continues to pose a serious threat to the lives of pregnant women and their babies.
“Preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are still among the leading causes of maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria, especially in the North-East,” she said.
Dr. Baba explained that the outreach was aimed at increasing awareness among pregnant women and healthcare workers on the symptoms, risk factors and complications associated with the condition.
According to her, “Many women still register late for antenatal care, and that makes prevention difficult because preventive treatment works best when started early in pregnancy.”
The awareness activities began with a road walk across the Gombe metropolis and later extended to eleven health facilities, including primary healthcare centres, the State Specialist Hospital Gombe and the Zainab Bulkachuwa Women and Children Hospital.
Dr. Baba disclosed that during the exercise, the outreach team identified a pregnant woman suffering from severe preeclampsia and immediately referred her to the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe for proper management.
Also speaking, the Team Lead of the outreach and former Vice Chancellor of Gombe State University, Professor Aliyu El-Nafaty, described preeclampsia as a major public health concern contributing significantly to maternal mortality in Nigeria.
“Preeclampsia remains a serious public health issue and one of the major contributors to maternal deaths in the country,” he said.
Professor El-Nafaty noted that the outreach also focused on training healthcare workers on early identification of risk factors, emergency response and timely referral of severe cases.
He identified first-time pregnancy, family history of hypertension, previous history of preeclampsia, multiple pregnancies and sickle cell disease as some of the major risk factors associated with the condition.
He urged pregnant women to attend antenatal clinics regularly and seek immediate medical attention whenever they experience symptoms such as severe headache, swelling, blurred vision or high blood pressure.
“As healthcare providers, we must continue to educate women on the importance of early antenatal care and prompt medical attention,” he added.
As part of the outreach, the club donated blood pressure measuring machines, weighing scales, urine testing strips, antihypertensive drugs, low-dose aspirin and emergency medications used in the management of eclampsia to selected health facilities.
World Preeclampsia Day is marked annually on May 22 to raise awareness about the dangers of the condition and the importance of early detection and treatment.