FG Plans To Halve Rate Of Under-5 Mortality By 2030

Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, on Thursday, has said that the Federal Government is committed to improving the Human Capital Development Index and child survival rate in Nigeria by 2030 at the launch of the National Steering Committee of World Bank Supported Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services Project (IMPACT).

Nigeria has a reputation of ranking low in Human Capital Development Index and child survival with one of the highest Under-5 child mortality rate among lower-middle-income countries with 714,000. 

According to Ehanire, 87 per cent of infant mortality in Nigeria was caused by malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia, measles, meningitis and pertussis while 30 per cent of Under-5 mortality in the neonatal phase was caused by hypothermia and infection.

The minister then said that it was fortunate that these deaths could be prevented and that FG had set a goal to improve the human capital development index and halve Under-5 mortality in the country.

“These main killers of children in Nigeria can, fortunately, be prevented or treated with low cost, easy-to-implement and efficacious interventions, which this funding is envisioned to support. To address this crisis, the Government of Nigeria has committed to improving its human capital development index by reducing Under-5 mortality by half by 2030,” he said.