The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reported a mortality rate of approximately one million under-five (0-59 months) children in Nigeria due to different illnesses. This alarming statistic was disclosed by Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, the Mandate Secretary of Health Services and Environment Secretariat, at a press conference to launch the 2024 FCT Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) vaccination campaign. The FCTA organizes yearly immunization campaigns in an effort to address the high death rate. Prevalence of Malnutrition among children in the FCT, which causes stunting among 21.2%, underweight among 12.1%, and wasting among 3.0%, reflects Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM).
This statistics is far below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation of less than 5% GAM by 2025. According to the MICS 2017 report, the FCT’s exclusive breastfeeding rate was 52%, whereas a UNICEF survey from 2017 revealed that the Vitamin A coverage was 40.6%, below the 90% goal. With the Federal Capital Territory having a marginally lower rate of 408 deaths per 100,000 live births, Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio is 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. Dr. Fasawe stated that despite the progress made through MNCHW, more work is still required to lower these figures and enhance the nutritional status of children.
MNCHW immunization campaign will focus on prenatal care.
Dr. Fasawe who was represented by FCTA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babagana Adam, said the MNCHW immunization campaign will offer routine immunization for children ages 0–11 months, vitamin A supplements for those aged 6-59 months, deworming for those aged 12-59 months, growth monitoring, Nutrition assessments, birth registration, Family Planning services, and hand-washing sensitization. In addition, the campaign will focus on HIV counselling and testing, prenatal care, and preventing Malaria in pregnant women. She emphasized the value of media and stakeholders participation in advancing MNCHW.
Annual mortality rates among children under five in Nigeria is considerably high, with significant contribution to the global data. Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo account for half of all such deaths recorded in 2022 globally. Nigeria and India accounted for almost a third of this mortality. According to reports, Nigeria’s under-five mortality rate in 2021 was approximately 114 per 1,000 live births, with neonatal deaths—deaths that occur within the first 28 days of life—making up a sizable share of this rate.
Poor dietary practices impede efforts to enhance child health.
Nigeria recorded 102 under-five deaths for every 1,000 live births in 2023. At this rate, over 855,000 children die each year from diseases like malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea that may be prevented. According to a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) 2023 report, these mortality rates are significantly impacted by poor access to nutrition, water, sanitation, and healthcare. For instance, just 18 percent of children aged 6-23 months get a healthy diet, and only 17 percent of newborns consume only breast milk for the first six months of their lives.
A significant proportion of children in Nigeria do not have access to a minimum tolerable diet, and millions of them lack basic Sanitation and clean water facilities, which raises the country’s high incidence of diarrheal illnesses. Many of the recorded mortality are attributable to diseases like pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoea, birth asphyxia, and problems from preterm delivery that are preventable and treatable. Meanwhile, several efforts to enhance child health in the country have all been impeded by poor dietary practices, lack of access to healthcare, and inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), inadequate infrastructure, and a less functional primary healthcare system.
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While the government has is working to broaden access to primary healthcare across the country, has committed ₦260 billion to the revitalization of PHCs, and has developed strategies to improve the operational effectiveness of the 8,809 PHCs that exist now—with the goal of doubling that number to 17,618 by 2027 in order to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC)—the work is still far from finished. There are still gaps in coverage and significant barriers to reviving the country’s healthcare.