Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai
Every year, 66,000 children below the age of five die annually in Kaduna State, the Country Director of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria – Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health, Mr. Remi Adeseun, has said.
Adeseun said this when he led his team on advocacy visit to the Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, in the state capital.
Adeseun said that the 2013 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey in Kaduna State showed that for every 1000 live-births, 185 die before the fifth birthday and all from preventable and treatable diseases such as Malaria, Pneumonia and Diarrheoa.According to him, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria – Partnership For Advocacy in Child and Family Health’s visit the state is aimed at addressing childhood diseases such as Pneumonia and Diarrhoea.
He said, “Most of the aforementioned deaths are from preventable and treatable diseases such as Malaria, Pneumonia and Diarrhoea. The Survey shows that Diarrhoea and Pneumonia account for 13 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively of the under-five mortality rate in Kaduna state.
“In the North West, Kaduna state has the second highest percentage of under-five mortality rate from Pneumonia. Kaduna State has 16 per cent under-five Diarrhoea mortality rate, a figure that is far higher than the National average of nine per cent.”
He said consequently, there was an urgent need to address the problem.
“The management of childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhoea should be given high priority by the state government through the Ministry of Health. If half of the priority given to malaria is geared towards Pneumonia and Diarrhoea treatment, more innocent lives would be saved,” Adeseun said.
Responding, Balarabe said that the administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai was aware of the problem and had taken proactive measures towards tackling it.
She explained that it was in a bid to solve the problem that the state government overhauled the law establishing the KSPHCA.
“All the departments in the Ministry of Health that are into immunisation and dispensation of drugs and allied services have now been brought under the roof of this agency for proper coordination,” she said.
“I am sure you are aware of the partnership that the governor signed with the Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation on the eradication of some of these diseases. I want to inform you that the governor has authorised the release of 100 per cent counterpart funds to this cooperation.”
All Credits: PUNCH
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