More Nigerian children risk death before age 5 – MICS

Despite all efforts by government, UNICEF and other donor agencies to improve on Nigerian primary health care services, many Nigerians are yet to fill the impact of the programme. 

 The recent report by Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) 2016-17 revelation shows an unacceptable under – 5 mortality rate very high. 

 According to the MICS report, at least 1 out of 10 children born alive in Nigeria die before their fifth birthday and out of 100 children born alive, 7 die before their first birthday and 4 die within the first month of their life.

 The report revealed that out of the six Geo political zones in Nigeria, under five mortality rate is higher in the northern zone than in the south, in spite of the federal government and donor agencies efforts to improve on the primary health care services in the zone. 

 Also, according to MICS, the North West is having the highest rate with (162 per 1000 live births) higher than North East despite the fact that the West is relatively peaceful than the East. 

 The report also said that children living in rural areas, having mothers with no formal education and living in poor households, have high probability of dying before reaching their 5th birthday. 

MICS further looked at breastfeeding, exclusive and predominant among children under 5 months and revealed that 54 percent of Nigerian predominantly breastfeed their children for the first six months of life while about 24 percent breastfeed their children exclusively with breastfeed milk. Only one in five mothers in rural areas and 3 out of 10 in urban areas breastfeed exclusively in the first 6months of life. 

 This how ever could be said that mothers with formal education are likely to breastfeed their babies exclusively than mothers with non-formal education. 

 Child malnutrition ,which also contributed to child death is rated high from the report, at least 4 out of 10 under 5 children are short for their age, (stunted), 3 out of 10 are too thin for their age (under weight) while 1 out of 10 are too thin for their height. 

Regis Anukwuoji, Enugu