Stakeholders at the workshop to commemorate the 2019 World Pneumonia and Prematurity Days have lamented lack of efforts to address the number of children dying from pneumonia.
The event was organised by Save The Children International in collaboration with UNICEF and Every Breath Counts in Abuja .
Addressing delegates during the workshop, Chief of Party Dr. Adamu Isah, called for urgent actions to reduce world’s leading killer of children in Nigeria.
Pneumonia is said to kill more children in Nigeria than any other country.
“We have gone into partnership and we are getting closer together every day, we are forming a bigger coalition now than before to address this issue of pneumonia.
“Another commendation is that this country has been able to work through the partnership to develop a national pneumonia control strategic plan,” he said.
He therefore called for commitment to translate words into actions and to create more awareness.
Dr. Adamu said further that pneumonia has direct connection with nutrition and that the government should find a way of reaching out and supporting the health sector, saying issues of healthcare financing and quality care should not be left to donor partners alone.
“Nutrition goes beyond the government, but the families need to be enlightened and sensitise. It is important for family to know what to do after child delivery.
Also, UNICEF Chief of Health and HIV, Dr. Sanjana Bhardwaj, said the progress of pneumonia treatment in Nigeriais was slow, pointing out tgat the government must continue to strengthen the health system.
“It is possible to prevent pneumonia through better immunisation coverage to protect children from some of the leading causes.
“It is possible through good nutrition to help their bodies to fight off infections and respond to treatment as well as to prevent underlying causes of pneumonia. It is possible through provision of improved water, hygiene and sanitation,” she said.
She therefore called on the government to ensure access to integrated service delivery and low cost live saving antibiotics at the community level.
Presenting the draft National Integrated Pneumonia Control Strategy and Plan, the deputy director, Child Survival Child Health Division/Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Tinu Taylor, said children under the age of five years make up 17 per cent of Nigeeian population adding that about 8.8 million children died globally every year.
Data say one million diein Nigeria yearly from the disease.
According to her, globally Pneumonia is next to neonatal causes as cause of under five mortality.
She said about one third of children with Pneumonia receive appropriate treatment adding that Pneumonia death for children can be prevented with highly cost effective vaccines and treated with low cost antibiotics.
She said Nigeria now have a draft of Pneumonia control strategy and implementation plan that would be launched soon, and that the plan provide concrete priorities and recommendations.
The strategy is a five year implementation plan including resource recommendations she explained.
