FG worries over increasing under-5 deaths

The Federal Government has expressed worries over the increasing mortality of under-5 children despite various health interventions.

It said recent data showed that the menace was rather getting worse, especially in the Northern part of the country.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire at the opening of training of interviewers for the 2019 Verbal and Social Autopsy Survey (VASA), organised by the National Population Commission (NPC) in partnership with the health ministry, in Akwanga, Nasarawa State.

Ehanire who was represented by the Director, Health Planning Research and Statistics at the Ministry, Dr.Emmanuel Meribole said data from the 2018  National Demographics Health Survey(NDHS) revealed that the menace is still very prevalent.

“Under-five mortality is a problem and we are getting worse in this aspect. Does it then mean that the various health interventions are not working because the data says it all or we are still not doing things right?

“This is why we need to pay attention to the training to ensure that quality data is gathered,” he said.

He further stressed the importance of data collection to the country’s development, adding that the outcome of the survey will birth more health interventions.

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Meanwhile,  the 2018 NDHS obtained by the TribuneOnline revealed that fifty-one per cent of all deaths among children under age 5 in Nigeria, take place before a child’s first birthday, with 30% occurring during the first month of life.

According to the survey, under-5 mortality rose from 128 deaths per 1000 live births in 2013 to 132 in 2018 after a decrease from 201 deaths in 2003 to 157 in 2008.

“Nigeria has much work to do to meet the SDG target of reducing the under-5 mortality rate,” the survey stated.

However, in her address, the Acting Chairman, NpopC Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin explained that the VASA survey will help ascertain the causes and determinants of under-5 mortality in the country within the period 2013-2018.

She noted that the common cause of neonatal deaths are; preterm births, infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, among others while the major causes of young children deaths are diarrhoea, pneumonia and Malaria.

“We can prevent some of these deaths even before I woman becomes pregnant, this is by ensuring that the would-be mother is well nourished before pregnancy, during pregnancy and after birth. While cultural practices that expose infants to be susceptible to some of these killer diseases should be avoided are all cost.

“You will agree with me that the situation we find ourselves today as a nation is one that calls for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to collectively resolve to address the issue of infant child mortality in Nigeria,” she stated.