By Adeola Tukuru
Abuja
Reports have shown that the global investment in child health has had a transformative impact worldwide as ‘Under Five’ deaths have decreased from 10 million in 2000 to 5.9 million in 2015.
In a joint report by the Executive Director, Kate. O.Brien and Managing Director, Mary Carol Jennings of International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC), said that investment in pneumonia and diarrhoea control have contributed substantially to this impact,yet one in four of all remaining child deaths are still caused by these two illnesses.
They said to reduce these preventable deaths will require new ways of working, monitoring and implementing as well as reaching children who remain un reached will mean commuting to ambitions new approaches.
“While even more resources will be needed to reach the unreached, these remaining children bear the greatest burden of diseases,” they said.
Also, in a press statement signed by the National Convener, Women Advocates for Vaccine Access (WAVA), Dr Chizoba Wonodi, in commemoration ahead of the World pneumonia Day, November 12,2017, explained why pneumonia and diarrhoea are still responsible for 1 of every 4 deaths in children under 5 globally.
She said Children in low-resource settings are at higher risk for illness. At the same time, pneumonia and diarrhoea can contribute to the cycle of poverty.
According to her, efforts to work and invest more strategically in immunization, nutrition, and treatment are critical to meaningfully reduce the nearly 900,000 childhood deaths that still occur each year as a result of pneumonia and diarrhoea.
