The United Nations Children’s Fund has revealed that about one million newborns die in Nigeria each year, representing 10 per cent of global neonatal deaths.
This statistic was disclosed during a Media Dialogue on Child Mortality held in Jos on Sunday.
A Health Officer from UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Oluseyi Olosunde, explained that Nigeria’s neonatal mortality rate stands at 41 deaths per 1,000 live births, far from the global target of 17. Infant mortality in Nigeria is 63 per 1,000 live births, while the under-five mortality rate is 110 per 1,000 live births.
“Every day, the country loses about 2,300 children under five. In rural areas, 157 children die daily, almost double the rate in urban areas, which is 92,” Olosunde stated.
Data from the 2023 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) showed worsening trends in neonatal mortality in Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba states. Neonatal deaths increased in Bauchi from 38 to 48 per 1,000 live births over five years and in Taraba from 37 to 38, while Gombe’s rate remains at 45.
Olosunde lamented that 70% of these deaths are preventable. “Stakeholders must work together to prevent child deaths and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3,” he said.
A UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr. Amos Audu, highlighted that half of under-five deaths occur within the first two days of life due to pneumonia, malaria, birth complications, and lack of oxygen. “These are all preventable with proper vaccination,” he said.
Audu also identified poverty, poor maternal health, low education, and cultural practices as factors behind child deaths. “Traditional birth attendance and inadequate nutrition play major roles,” he added.
A paediatrician at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ruth Adah, said child mortality rates in Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba are higher than in other parts of Nigeria. She emphasized the role of the media in raising awareness and pushing for policy changes.
“Children are voiceless in our society,” Adah noted. “Journalists can bring these issues to light, engage policymakers, and advocate for solutions. Media houses have the power to make this a talking point.”
