Infant Mortality Shocker- In Nigeria, 1 in 4 Children Die From Malaria Before The Age of 5…
I am not sure where BBC got these statistics, but it is extremely alarming that 1 in 4 children die of Malaria before the age of 5.
In Nigeria, the average life expectancy for both men and women is less than 50, and 24% of children die of malaria before the age of five.
Almost half the population say that healthcare beats hands down financial problems, housing or crime as their main worry.
This is particularly alarming when one looks at the statistics for infant mortality in Iraq during the height of the sanctions against Saddam Hussein. At that point in time, 1 in 10 children died before reaching the age of 5.
We can all agree that while the power supply in Nigeria is erratic, the roads are in an atrocious state, and armed robbers hold sway, combined those numbers don’t even begin to touch the number of infant deaths we have going on in our country. 1 out of 4 children not making it to the age of 5 is simply unnaceptable.
As a matter of urgent national importance, Yar’Adua must declare combat against Infant Mortality to be a national priority, and the resources of the state must be utilized to bring this number down significantly.
Posted by Naija Pundit
