NDHS REVEALS THAT 125 CHILDREN OUT OF EVERY 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS IN BAUCHI STATE DIE BEFORE THEY REACH FIVE YEARS 20-05-25
By Sadiq Aminu The 2023/2024 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) reveals that 125 children out of every 1,000 live births in Bauchi State die before they reach five years.
This mind bugling statistics according to the current NDHS is beyond the national average, which stands at one hundred and one per one thousand live births.
The survey reveals that the North East region of statistics under-five mortality is 127 out of every 1,000 live births.
Against this background Child Health and Morality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project organised a one-day training workshop for Bauchi-based working Journalists, themed “Promoting Child Health Through Media Advocacy”.
The aim of the training is to draw the attention of all stakeholders on the need to investigate the causative factors of these deaths and strategise for workable action.
CHAMPS project is funded by the Gates Foundation, through Emory University, US and being implemented by the College of Medical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU Bauchi.
In his remark, the Vice Chancellor of ATBU Professor Ibrahim Hassan Garba said as professionals, Journalists have a vital role to play in sensitising the public and all stakeholders especially policy makers to take measures towards arrested the problem.
The Principal Investigator, CHAMPS project, Dr Muhammad Bashir Faruk said deaths of children from zero to five years in Nigeria and particularly Bauchi state were alarming.
He said “Let’s say 1,000 babies were delivered in Nigeria, before they reach 28 days (that’s Neonate) 41 of them would have died, in North East 40 of them would have died and in Bauchi state 48 of them would have died, so there’s more deaths in Bauchi compared to national average of forty one”.
According to him, “In every 1,000 babies delivered, before the age of one year, in Nigeria as an average, 63 of them would have died, in North East region, 67 of them would have died and in Bauchi state 77 of them would have died, so Bauchi is doing poorly compared to regional and national average” he lamented.
Dr Faruk emphasised the need for parents to give approval for CHAMPS project to take biopsy in their deceased children for laboratory investigation to ascertain causative factors around the deaths with a view to prevent recurrence.
He explained that the outcome of such investigation would provide details of the causative factors beyond doctors’ peripheral explanations.
The Provost College of Medical Sciences, Professor Sambo Zailani represented by Professor Sani Malami said CHAMPS project was out to reverse the trend of Child mortality in Nigeria, calling on all stakeholders to join hands in actualising the set goal.
At the end of the training workshop, the participants developed a work plan that would serve as a guide to tailor their messages targeting diverse audiences.