The United Nations Children’s Fund has raised alarm over high child death rates in Katsina State, revealing that one out of every six children dies before reaching the age of five.
The Chief of UNICEF Kano Field Office, Rahama Rihood Farah, shared this on Tuesday during a media dialogue on child-sensitive budgeting held in collaboration with the Katsina State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
He said the figure stands at 159 deaths for every 1,000 live births, in a state with a population of 9.64 million people, including about 4.5 million children.
Farah noted that only 41 percent of children in Katsina are fully immunized, leaving most exposed to diseases that can be prevented. He also said 75.5 percent of children in the state are multi-dimensionally poor, meaning they lack basic services like healthcare, education, and proper nutrition.
“Three in four children in Katsina live in poverty and are cut off from basic services needed to survive and grow,” Farah said.
He added that 61.2 percent of children live in households that are financially poor, making it difficult for them to meet daily needs.
According to the data, 33.3 percent of children are out of primary school, while only 23.4 percent of children aged 6 to 23 months receive the minimum acceptable diet for healthy growth.
Farah also said over 51 percent of children under five in the state are stunted due to poor nutrition, which affects their health and brain development long-term.
UNICEF said low investment in the social sector is one of the major reasons for these poor outcomes. Farah noted that Katsina’s budget for sectors like health and education dropped from 38.57 percent in 2016 to just 12.98 percent by 2020.
He urged the government to increase its funding for children-focused programmes and make better use of the Child Rights Act, which has already been domesticated in the state.
“Children make up more than half of Katsina’s population,” he said. “Spending on their health, education, and protection is not charity, but a wise investment in the state’s future.”
The dialogue, which held at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, was attended by heads of ministries, civil society groups, and government officials.
