One million children below five years die annually —FCTA

According to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, various illnesses claim the lives of almost a million Nigerian children before they turn five every year. The Health Services and Environment Secretariat's mandate secretary, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, made this announcement on Friday during a press conference to launch the 2024 FCT Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week vaccination campaign. 

The MNCHW vaccination programme, which is free for kids ages 0 to 59 months, is set to start on July 20 and run through July 24, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. 

Speaking on behalf of FCTA Permanent Secretary Dr. Babagana Adam, Fasawe stated that the organisation was forced to continue the annual immunisation campaign due to the concerning death rate among children aged 0 to 59 months.

According to Fasawe, the exercise is required to ensure that Nigerian children are free from all ailments because of the high prevalence of malnutrition among this group of youngsters in the Federal Capital Territory.

“The rate of Stunting is 21.2 per cent, Underweight 12.1 per cent, and Wasting 3.0 per cent.

“Wasting reflects Global Acute Malnutrition, which is still unacceptably high to meet the World Health Organisation’s global target of lower than 5% for GAM by 2025 (NDHS 2018).

“Micronutrient malnutrition is also prevalent. Evaluation by the United Nations International Children Education Fund in the last SMART survey published in 2017 showed that Vitamin A coverage for FCT was 40.6 per cent which is far below the minimum 90 per cent target.

“Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate in FCT is 52 per cent according to MICS 2017 report. The maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria is 512 deaths per 100,000 live births (NDHA, 2018), and 408 deaths per 100,000 live births in FCT.

“These rates are unacceptably poor and preventive measures need to be supported and promoted to be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” she stressed.

Source