A new report by Save the Children, titled, “Surviving the First Day”, has estimated that, annually, about 90,000 babies die on the first day they are born in Nigeria.
According to the report, Nigeria is second after India, out of the 186 countries with the highest first-day death of babies in the world.
India is said to have 309,000 children dying on their first day while Nigeria has 89,700. Other countries at the bottom are Pakistan, China, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Tanzania.
Nigeria also ranked 8th on the Mothers’ Index, which compares the level of maternal mortality, educational status, poverty and participation in politics among others, in 176 countries.
Other countries with the worst Mothers’ Index are Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic and Gambia.
The Country Manager, Save the Children International, Susan Grant, who spoke during the Global launch of the 14th edition of the ‘ State of the World Mothers: Surviving the First Day ‘report in Nigeria in Lagos, on Tuesday, stated that sub-Saharan Africa, especially Nigeria, had the highest burden of newborn deaths in the report by the organisation.
She said two-thirds of first-day deaths of babies, which is 673,000 out of the one million recorded annually, occurred in just 10 countries globally.
Grant also noted that Nigeria, by virtue of its population, must play a key role, if the continent must reduce the number of newborn deaths dying in Africa.
“The First-Day Birth Index compares the first-day death rates for babies in 176 countries to identify the safest and most dangerous places to be born. Unfortunately, all the worst ranking countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. Of all the countries in the region, Nigeria is the most heavily burdened by first-day deaths.
“Nigeria with its population, is key to reducing the infant mortality in Africa, even a small reduction in the death rates of the newborns can result in thousands of lives being saved. We must do it in Nigeria first, to set examples for others in Africa.”Grant stated.
She called on government to increase its investment in key interventions which could save newborns and mothers from dying.
Grant stated that the presence of skilled midwives, trained health care workers to support mother before and after delivery, clean cord care to prevent infection and exclusive breast feeding were low-cost interventions that would save thousands of mothers and children’s lives.
Source: Punch NG
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