Nigeria Loses 250,000 Babies To Preventable Causes Yearly – Prof. Chinyere Ezeaka

A Professor of Paediatrics at the College of Medicine University of Lagos, and Clinical Lead, Newborn Essential Solution and Technologies, NEST360, Professor Chinyere Ezeaka has come out to say that Nigeria loses over 250,000 babies yearly due to preventable and treatable causes.

Professor Chinyere Ezeaka recently revealed that with current slow progress in our health sector, it might take the country another 100 years to be able to prevent needless infant deaths.

According to her, the causes of newborn deaths in Nigeria to include prematurity, infections, birth asphyxia, congenital abnormalities among others, and they can be eradicated by adopting a comprehensive newborn care, a standard of care available in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Deputy Chairman, Clinical Advisory Committee, CMAC, University of Ibadan, UCH, Dr Victor Makojola then added that the NEST360 project would surely help to decrease infant mortality and newborns, especially now that more babies are delivered in the hospitals.

His words, “It will ensure that these babies have access to human resources and life-saving technologies that will ensure that they survive childhood. And eventually into adulthood.

“The deaths that are being addressed is for those having complications and conditions at birth and premature. It will help to provide them with appropriate care to survive this critical time of their lives and grow into normal children.

“If they don’t have these services even if they survive, they will not have a normal life because they would have lacked important things and this is why the intervention is important.”