Sunday Alamba/AP Global Citizen AsksDemand Equity 1 in 22 Nigerian Women Die While Having a Baby. How Can We Stop This? We spoke with Dr. Uche Ralph-Opara about how we make sure all mothers in Nigeria get health care. Why Global Citizens Should Care Lack of access to health care is the leading cause of maternal death in Africa. The United Nations’ Global Goal 3 calls for good health and well-being for all people. These goals cannot be achieved if expectant mothers in Africa continue to struggle to access health care. Join the movement and take action on this issue here. With a population of 200 million, public health care in Nigeria is underfunded, health workers are poorly paid, and there is an acute shortage of doctors.