Infant mortality still high – NMA
Chukwudi Achife, Enugu
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said that a
maternal
mortality rate of 1,500 per 100,000 deliveries
still
obtains in most part of the country stressing that
it
was
one of the highest in the world.
Chairman of Enugu State branch of association Dr
Uchenna
Nwagha who disclosed this at the opening ceremony
of
this
year’s Physician Week, said the situation called
for
urgent
attention of the Federal Government and medical
authorities
in the country.
He said medical experts should move quickly to
obtain
reliable information on the nature of the problem a
circumstances surrounding it if any effort aimed at
its
eradication would be successful.
"World attention is increasingly being drawn to the
problem
of high maternal mortality rate in most countries
of
the
third world. It is hard to believe but it is quite
true
that a maternal mortality rate of 1.500 per 100,000
deliveries still obtains in most parts of Nigeria.
A
situation that permits loss of maternal lives of
that
magnitude needs urgent attention." he said.
He further stated that about two million children
die
annually before reaching the age of five in
developing
countries because they are not immunized against
common
diseases adding that about 70 per cent of the
deaths
was
attributable to such diseases as malaria, diarrhoea
and
measles.
Dr Nwagha also said malnutrition was another major
cause of
early child deaths adding that children with
Vitamin A
deficiency had 25 per cent greater risk of dying
while
others may suffer stunting or disability in brain
development and capacity to learn.
According to him, members of the Enugu branch of
the
NMA
hoped to use the week to embark on special studies
that
could lead to discoveries of ways to obtain
substantial
reduction in maternal and child mortality.
He also pleaded with Enugu state government to
assist
the
association in the state through provision of land
and
financial support towards building a secretariat
which
would contain facilities that would enable doctors
continue
updating their knowledge and skills.