Having fled her home in northeast Nigeria when Boko Haram militants struck in 2015, Abdulai is preparing for the birth of her eighth child - her first since arriving in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. "But some women in Maiduguri told me to come here ... now I know the risks of having a baby at home." Some 1.4 million of the displaced are now residing in camps and communities in Borno state, where aid agencies are offering free health services in camp clinics and state health centres. For many women uprooted by Boko Haram, like Abdulai, this is the first time they have set foot in a health facility, or heard about antenatal care, birth control and family planning. While such an approach would benefit women like Abdulai, she laughs heartily at the prospect of having a ninth child.

Source: The Star January 25, 2017 06:37 UTC