Nigeria has among the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world, especially in the north of the country.

Bauchi state in north-eastern Nigeria has around 5 million residents. The main religion is Islam, with prominent Hausa and Fulani ethnicities. Family sizes are large and polygamy is common. The 2013 Nigeria DHS  reported 73% of women in Bauchi have no education, compared with 38% nationally.

Local evidence about maternal health risk factors came from surveys in Bauchi State undertaken by CIET and FOMWAN in a previous project undertaken as part of the Nigeria Evidence Based Health Systems Initiative (NEHSI). A 2010 survey in Bauchi State found women were more likely to have complications in pregnancy and childbirth if: