The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has asserted that giving birth at health facilities by women can reduce drastically, the rate of mortality of children and their mothers in the society.
UNICEF Bauchi filed office, Health Officer Mr Oluseyi Olosunde made the assertion during a two-day media dialogue to commemorate the international women’s day 2024 held at Evolution Hotel, Gombe.
According to him, a lot of deaths of new born children and their maternal parents are due to non going to hospitals for ante natals and delivery which can help prevent pregnancy and birth related problems.
He lamented that many Nigerian children die before reaching the age of five years as a result of lack of proper care advising that empowering women economically will enable them access health services during pregnancy and labour thereby mitigating mothers, and child mortality rate.
Buttressing his points, he noted that in the host state, Gombe, about 37 children out of 1,000 die after delivery and 51 children under the age of five die everyday in the state.
He added that the rate of such deaths are higher in rural areas and poor families advocating that with improved access to health facilities and economic empowerment of women who are mothers, the two mortality rates will be minimised to the barest minimum.
