FG To Nurture, Strengthen Collaboration With Partners To Reduce Under-Five Mortality Rate

As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the World Pneumonia and Prematurity Day, the Federal Government has pledged to nurture and strengthen its collaboration with Partners and stakeholders to reduce Under-Five Mortality Rate.

Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare stated during the Ministerial Press Briefing marking the Commemoration of the World Pneumonia and Prematurity Day at the Ministry’s headquarters office in Abuja.

The 2024 theme for World Prematurity Day is: ” Access to Quality Care Everywhere” and, that of Pneumonia Day Celebration “Championing the Fight to Stop Pneumonia”.

The Honourable Minister explained that the Commemoration has brought to the fore the strengthening of active collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare and partners to addressing preventable causes of child mortality in the country.
He described childhood pneumonia, as the forgotten killer of the under-fives, stressing, it has not received priority attention as an important contributor to global childhood morbidity and mortality.

Elaborating further, Dr. Salako reeled grim pictures of statistics and figures on this peculiar child mortality, emphasizing, it is an unacceptable indices to the federal government’s commitment to a drop in Under-Five Mortality rate from 132/1000 in 2018 to 110/1000 live births in 2023 as reported by the National Demographic Health Survey ( NDHS).

He said: ” Globally, about 100 million childhood pneumonia episodes with associated 808,920 related deaths occurs with low and middle- income countries( LMICs).

Nigeria inclusive accounting for about three-quarters of the global childhood mortalities. Going by the current annual level of reduction in child mortality rate, Nigeria may not meet the Sustainable Development Goals for reduction in child mortality by 2030 unless every proven intervention is adopted and implemented”, Dr. Salako added.

Riding on the above postulations, the Honourable Minister reaffirmed that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare will nurture and strengthen its collaboration with ‘ Every Breast Counts Coalition (a global coalition of over 100 organisations), the Paediatric Association of Nigeria and, all stakeholders.

A testament to this commitment was the donation of 400 continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines for distribution to 139 health facilities across Nigeria by the HATCH Technologies and the Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN).

“HATCH Technologies and CHAN, you have added value and strength to our effort in reducing Neonatal and Under-Five mortality”, Dr. Salako noted.

The donation of CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines is for the care of neonates with respiratory distress syndrome, reinforcing federal governments efforts under the Nigeria Every Newborn Action Plan ( NiENP) 2023, targeting reducing Neonatal deaths to 12 per 1,000 live births by 2030.

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary Daju Kachollom mni, stated that the import of 2024 theme is a clarion call to action.
“Both themes are a clarion call to action for a strengthened healthcare system, attain universal health coverage and to collectively advocate for improved inequality gap with a view to reaching the most vulnerable group who bear the major consequences of childhood pneumonia and problems associated with prematurity”, the Permanent Secretary posited.

Goodwill messages from Partners such as UNICEF, Nigeria Society of Neonatal Medicine ( NISONM), WHO, USAID, USAID-MGCL, BMGF, NEST 360 and Clinton Foundation added drive and positive direction to the occasion.