About one million Nigerian children die every year before their fifth birthday because of different sicknesses. This information was shared by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, who works with the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, talked about this on Friday. She was starting the 2024 FCT Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) vaccination program.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that this vaccination is free for children from birth to 5 years old. It will start on July 20 and end on July 24.
Dr. Fasawe, represented by Dr. Babagana Adam, said the high number of children dying before age 5 made the FCTA hold this vaccination every year.
She explained that many children in the FCT do not get enough healthy food, making this vaccination even more necessary. For example, 21.2% of children in the FCT are shorter than they should be for their age, 12.1% do not weigh enough, and 3% are very thin.
Fasawe mentioned that many of these children suffer from Global Acute Malnutrition, which is still too high compared to the World Health Organization’s goal of less than 5% by 2025.
“Micronutrient malnutrition is also common. A United Nations International Children Education Fund survey in 2017 showed that only 40.6% of children in the FCT received enough Vitamin A, far below the 90% target,” Fasawe said.
She also shared that only 52% of mothers in the FCT exclusively breastfeed their babies, which should be higher. The maternal mortality rate is quite high as well, with 512 deaths per 100,000 live births in Nigeria and 408 deaths per 100,000 live births in the FCT.
Fasawe emphasized that these numbers are too high and we need to support and promote more preventive measures. The MNCHW has already made good progress to reduce these numbers, but more efforts are needed to ensure all children get the help they need to stay healthy.
MNCHW is a special week organized by the Nigerian government twice a year, in May/June and November/December. It focuses on providing important health services to mothers, newborns, and children at the community level.
Fasawe said this week is about educating and providing healthcare services to mothers and children.
She highlighted that instead of just focusing on separate health programs, they now use a combined approach to give caregivers and children the important health services they need.
During the MNCHW vaccination week, services offered will include Vitamin A supplementation for children aged 6 to 59 months, deworming for children aged 12 to 59 months, and regular vaccines for children aged 0 to 11 months.
“Additionally, there will be growth monitoring, food demonstrations, and nutrition screening for children aged 6 to 59 months, birth registration, family planning services, and handwashing demonstrations,” Fasawe added.
“We will also focus on antenatal care to prevent malaria in pregnant women, HIV counseling and testing, which is now part of the MNCHW,” Fasawe said.
She urged everyone, including journalists, to support and promote MNCHW. She also asked all households in the FCT’s six area councils to work with the medical officers who will carry out the exercise.