Pneumonia responsible for 11% infant deaths in Nasarawa – Study

Umar Muhammed, Lafia

A new Nigerian Demographic Health Survey has revealed that pneumonia accounts for 11 per cent of the child mortality rate in Nasarawa State.

The Senior Programme Officer, Training for Media Champions in Child and Family Health, Mr. David Akpotor, stated this during a training programme organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre in conjunction with the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health in Kaduna State.

Akpotor stated, “Recent Nigerian Demographic Health survey says that Nasarawa State recorded 91,000 pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths, especially in children under the age of five. It also states that pneumonia and diarrhoea account for 11 and 14 per cent mortality rates in children.”

According to him, adequate funding of routine immunisation is the weapon that will reduce infant deaths and prevent polio resurgence in the Northern state.

He, however, called on tiers of government to ensure the training of frontline health workers to enable them to acquire knowledge on the management of pneumonia.

The organisation also appealed to the Federal Government to provide funds for the procurement of Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablets and Zinc/Lo-O, the approved medicines for the treatment of the diseases.

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