The Federal Government, on Tuesday, raised the alarm that maternal and child mortality remained a key challenge facing it, with Nigeria currently on 110 to 1000 live births rate, against the global target of 30 to 1000 live births by 2015.

This came just as the judicial arm of the government was commended for ensuring that women have about 30 per cent representation in the appointment of judges in the country.

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Salamatu Suleiman, made this known in Abuja at the 2010 International Women’s Day celebration, saying that “wide disparities exist between rural and urban centres and among geopolitical zones.”

She said: “Most of these preventable deaths are largely due to low maternal education and awareness, weak primary health care system, poverty and poor household practices, among others.”