The Federal Capital Territory Administration has disclosed that over a million Nigerian children under five die annually due to various illnesses
The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe made known at a news conference on Friday to kickstart the 2024 FCT Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week vaccination,
This vaccination campaign, free for children aged 0 to 59 months, will run from July 20 to July 24, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.
Represented by Dr. Babagana Adam, Permanent Secretary of the FCTA, Dr. Fasawe highlighted the high mortality rates among children in this age group, prompting the FCTA to conduct this annual vaccination exercise.
Malnutrition in the FCT’s children necessitates this initiative, with stunting at 21.2%, underweight at 12.1%, and wasting at 3.0%.
Dr. Fasawe emphasized that the current rate of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) remains above the World Health Organisation’s target of less than 5% by 2025 (NDHS 2018).
She stated, “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.”
Highlighting maternal health, Dr. Fasawe noted the Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate in FCT is 52% according to the MICS 2017 report.
She pointed out Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio is 512 deaths per 100,000 live births (NDHA, 2018), and 408 deaths per 100,000 live births in the FCT.
She stressed the necessity of preventive measures to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, acknowledging the progress made through MNCHW in improving these statistics and the need to further these efforts.
The MNCHW, held biannually in May/June and November/December, aims to deliver crucial interventions at the grassroots level, raising awareness and providing maternal, newborn, and child healthcare services.
This year’s campaign will include Vitamin A supplementation for children aged 6 – 59 months, deworming for those aged 12 to 59 months, and routine immunisation for children aged 0 – 11 months.
Additional services offered during the week include growth monitoring, nutritional screening for children aged 6 – 59 months, birth registration, family planning, handwashing demonstrations, antenatal care, IPTp administration to prevent malaria in pregnant women, and integrated HIV counselling and testing.
Fasawe called on all stakeholders, including journalists, to promote MNCHW and urged households in the FCT’s six area councils to cooperate with medical officers conducting the exercise.
