Road crashes, cancer top death causes in tertiary hospitals

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Road traffic accidents have been identified as the leading cause of death, according to the 2025 health statistics report outlining the 10 most reported causes of mortality across federal tertiary hospitals in the country.

The report, published by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and obtained by our correspondent on Saturday, provides a comprehensive overview of mortality trends and service delivery across the nation’s tertiary health facilities.

The report underscores the need for improved data management, better resource allocation, and strengthened health system monitoring to enhance service delivery and reduce preventable deaths across tertiary hospitals.

According to the report, cancer is the second leading cause of death, followed by hypertension and diabetes mellitus, reflecting the continued rise of non-communicable diseases in the country.

Maternal causes and infection-related illnesses were similarly significant contributors to deaths in FTHs, as postpartum haemorrhage and sepsis were among the major causes recorded within the period.

“The data presented the top 10 causes of death as self-reported by FTHs, ranked by how frequently each was mentioned.

“Road traffic accidents emerged as the most commonly reported cause, followed by cancer and hypertension, reflecting the perceived burden across FTHs,” the report partly read.

Other leading causes include stroke, chronic kidney disease, severe anaemia, and eclampsia.

The report also highlighted the overall performance of tertiary health care across the country.

In 2025, FTHs recorded a total attendance of 2,764,076, with 1,211,829 outpatient visits and 1,769,980 follow-up visits.

During the period, there were 226,943 admissions, with patients spending an average of seven days in the hospital and a bed occupancy rate of 59 per cent.

The facilities discharged 183,862 patients, while 14,857 inpatient deaths were recorded.

Surgical services were extensive, with 30,516 major surgeries and 12,494 minor procedures performed, and laboratories conducted 1,923,626 investigations.

The report added that “16,964 cases of postpartum haemorrhage were recorded. In 2025, four new FTHs were established, and 2,520 facilities were issued certificates of standards.

“Five health facility workers received quarterly training on specialised care, and none of the FTHs underwent annual supportive supervisory visits. Additionally, 23 per cent of all FTHs received provisional certificates of standards.”

The quarter 3 report on tertiary health service delivery trends across federal tertiary health facilities provides useful insights into service utilisation.

It stated that “the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital recorded the highest outpatient volumes and diagnostic activities.

“However, several data quality and reporting gaps were observed. Some facilities, such as the Federal Teaching Hospital, Azare, reported figures that appear inconsistent (e.g., outpatient visits exceeding total attendance), indicating possible data entry or aggregation errors. Approximately five health facilities reported an average length of stay exceeding 30 days, while four reported a 100 per cent bed occupancy rate.”

The PUNCH journalist, Lara, has over 10 years experience covering health, environment and CSOs

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