It is really unfortunate for these young hapless victims whose lives and future has been constrained by a negligent government and weak health care institutions with the poorest medical services, today i lend my voice to the child mortality issue bedevilling us at this end.
Perhaps we are yet to notice the
elephant in the room, which is the seeming jostle between the primary health
centres and government funding which will not only help at least 70% of these
children but in turn assist with the general health care of locals an issue which
is still a major concern.
Now that we are in the middle of
this duel, our alienation issued from the divorce of our minds from these harsh
realities appears to have worsened. As we are quick to celebrate children's day
by going to any available amusement or recreational centre with our kids to
enjoy and have fun; whilst we forget the core importance neonatal health plays
in the survival of these children.
Alas the only time such issue
springs up in our minds occurs only when there is a complication during child
birth or the child suffers jaundice. Advocacy for a child's right to life
has been swept under the carpet for too long especially by the Nigerian
populace, yes this is because we have failed as a people to make the government
accountable for their errors.
We failed to fight aggressively for the souls we
lost to preventable diseases and deaths,those future leaders who should have
participated and enjoyed yesterday's festivities, but are no more today!.
The report released by UNICEF in
February this year ranked Nigeria 11th position on infant mortality globally
with the rate of 37 deaths per 1000 births. More than 80% of these deaths were
as a result of infections such as pneumonia and asphyxia.
Taking the North as an example
recent conflicts especially in the north east, their weak healthcare
institutions, and negative perception to immunization were some of the problems cited. In Nigeria, the
probability of a child dying within one year is 31% and chances of surviving
till his or her fifth birthday is 50% according to the UNICEF report.
Many of our local primary health
centres lack storage equipment, this alarming trend has further been worsened
by quackery in the health sector. Even when vaccines are supplied and the
storage facilities are present there is no electricity to keep theses vaccines in nperfect conditions for administering to those poor children in the cities and even hard to
get areas like villages.
Asides this 90% of women living in
Lagos surprisingly prefer to go to traditional birth attendants instead of
registered midwives and these quacks provide unqualified health care. Stunning
revelations made by the Director of Family Health and Nutrition, Lagos State
Ministry Of Health, Dr Folashade Oludara showed that most pregnant women in
Lagos vehemently refused immunization saying it is the government to kill their
babies, family planning was also not excluded.
Whether we hate to admit it or not
we are guilty in one way or the other about this issue, so for us to protect
these lives the government must ensure that Primary health centres in all the
local government have the means and resources to preserve those vaccines that
will reduce early child mortality.
The government through the media
should change the perception of people through aggressive sensitization so that
the lives of mothers and children can be saved.
My joy knew no bounds late last
year and then into the beginning of this year when i kept seeing the USAID
advert on family planning.
The government should not relent on emphasizing the benefits of this important process top women especially during ante-natal and post-natal care to avoid these preventable deaths.
The government should not relent on emphasizing the benefits of this important process top women especially during ante-natal and post-natal care to avoid these preventable deaths.
We have come so far as a people but we still have a long long way to go especially for us women, lets continue to encourage those non-challant ones amongst us to constantly use available primary health care centres near us when we suspect them derailing or they bring complaints to us, even those not using at all are not excluded.
We may pretend and say it is none of
our business, but how many of these tomorrow leaders or life changers can
Nigeria afford to lose even at the moment?..I believe every child has a right
to life and the answer lies only in our actions and willingness to make this
true change a reality!...
Writer: Babatunde Jacob Modupe
Picture source: Google images
Publisher: modupeblog
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