2000 children, 158 women die everyday in Nigeria – NGO

Mother and child

 

Everyday, according to an NGO, Nigeria loses 2000 children and 158 women due to poor access to basic healthcare.

The organisation also said 750,000 children die every year in Nigeria before they were five years old because of pneumonia, cholera, malaria and other preventable disease.

The Nigeria Country Representative of One Campaign, Edwin Ikhuoria, said the National Health Act could “save the lives of over 3 million mothers, newborns and children under-five years by 2022 if fully implemented by allocating 15 per cent of the nation’s budget to the health sector.”

He spoke with our correspondent on Friday in Abuja during a health campaign walk  and exercise jointly organised with another international organisation, DEAN Initiative, in commemoration of this year’s International Youths Day with the theme: “The road to 2030: Eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable consumption and production.”

Ikhuoria said, “This year N250bn was allocated to the Ministry of Health and its agencies. Today, we are in August, the question is, apart from salaries, how much has been released for capital projects and things like vaccines?

“Everyday, Nigeria loses 2000 children and 158 women due to poor access to basic healthcare. The National Health Act could save the lives of over 3 million mothers, newborns and children under-5 by 2022 if fully implemented.

“If you don’t know, 750,000 children die every year in Nigeria before they are five years old because of pneumonia, cholera and malaria. Some of them get HIV from their mothers. So unless transparent investments are made in the health sector, we cannot achieve results.