A Gap Analysis of Mother, New-born, and Child Health in West Africa with Reference to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030

Abstract

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) comprises 15-member states with an estimated population of 350 million. This account relates the present status of maternal, neonatal, and under-five-mortality to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets set for 2030. For each SDG indicator, progress observed was compared with that needed to meet the target (assuming linear progression). The time gap was calculated as the difference between the time remaining to the target year (2030) and the estimated time needed to achieve the target. The highest maternal mortality ratio is found in Sierra Leone (1360 in 2015), followed by Nigeria (814) and Liberia (725). Whereas Sierra Leone and Nigeria keep high positions also for the neonatal and under-five mortality rate, Liberia ranks clearly better than the ECOWAS average. Globally skilled health professionals' density is 25 per 10,000 population and in Nigeria close to it with 20.1 whereas Guinea takes the last position with 1.4. The gap analysis shows that ECOWAS countries have a realistic chance to likely reach the SDG targets in 2030 with a delay of less than 4 years regarding maternal, neonatal, and under-five-mortality although their skilled health professionals' density is considerably lower than for the entire African region.

Keywords: Gap Analysis; Health Worker Density; Mother; New-born and Child Health; Sustainable Development Goals; West Africa.