The United Nations Children’s Fund has disclosed that Ogun State recorded the highest number of childrens’ deaths in the southwestern part of the country.
The survey conducted by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners showed that Ogun recorded highest figures in neonatal mortality, infant mortality, postnatal care for newborn, among others in the region.
The Social Policy Specialist of UNICEF, Mohammed Okorie, disclosed this at a two-day media dialogue on the 2022 Multiple Indicator Clusters.
The media dialogue was organised by UNICEF, in partnership with the National Orientation Agency.
Okorie explained that the estimations were “part of the MICS 6 results released by the NBS in August 16, 2022.”
Quoting the NBS, Okorie said, the survey estimated that 56 out of 1000 children between the ages of zero and 11 months died after birth in Ogun State.
UNICEF’s Social Policy Specialist stated further that 68 out of 1000 children between the ages of 0 and less than one year died after their birth in Ogun State.
Okorie noted that Ogun State has also ranked the highest in the deaths of children between 0 and five years with the record of 85 deaths out of 1000 children.
He further indicated that Ogun State also recorded the lowest in the care for children after birth with the estimation of 77 percent.
He said Ekiti State recorded the second position in neonatal mortality with a record of 53 out of 1000 children, followed by Oyo with the record of 31 deaths out of 1000 children.
Okorie added that Ondo State witnessed 18 deaths out of 1000 children while Osun state recorded 12 deaths out of 1000 children.
He added that Ekiti State ranked second on the infant mortality chart with a record of 67 deaths out of 1000 children, adding that Oyo state followed with a record of 40 deaths out of 1000 children.
Okorie stated further that while Ondo State witnessed 31 deaths out of 1000 children, Osun State recorded 17 deaths out of 1000 children and Lagos State recorded 15 deaths out of 1000 children delivered.
He said Ekiti State ranked second on the under-five death chart with a record of 82 deaths in 1000 children and Ondo State followed with a record of 64 deaths out of 1000 children.
He added that Oyo State recorded 57 deaths out of 1000 children, Osun State recorded 24 deaths out of 1000 children and Lagos State recorded 15 deaths out of 1000 children.
Speaking on the reason for the data collection, Okorie said that the NBS data on infant mortality would be used to measure the progress and retrogression made by each state in the southwest.
He said “It has been effective since the day it was released. It is the regional dissemination that we are doing now in the southwest to journalists who will help us disseminate it to everybody.
“Subsequently, it is going to be used to determine the progress made across different indications in health, education, water sanitation and hygiene.”
Okorie, however, called on the government and the public to unite and resolve all challenges as indicated by the results of the survey.
“The government must see that there has to be coordination in the process. We should look beyond numbers. Everyone should see themselves as key stakeholders in the development,” he said.
