Science Journal of Sociology and Anthropology
April 2012, Volume 2012, ISSN:2276-6359
© Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research Article
Trends in Infant and Child Mortality in Nigeria: A Wake-Up Call Assessment For Intervention Towards Achieving the 2015 MDGS
1Ojewumi Titus K., 2Ojewumi Johnson S.
1DEPARTMENT OF DEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL STATISTICS,
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES,
OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA
2DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES,OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA
doi: 10.7237/sjsa/212
Accepted 23 March 2012; Available Online 1 April 2012
Abstract:
A child's right to survival is fundamental. It is the building block towards the realisation of a child's potential and on it hinges other basic rights of the child. Yet, many children do not enjoy this right. This paper examined trends in infant and child mortality in Nigeria as a wake-up call for intervention towards achieving the 2015 MDGs target. Between 1990 and 2008, under-five mortality in Nigeria only falls from 199 to 157 against the 62 MDGs target by 2015. Currently, about 5.9 million babies are born in Nigeria every year, and nearly one million children die before the age of five years. One quarter of all under-five deaths are newborns - 241,000 babies each year. Many deaths occur at home and are therefore unseen and uncounted in official statistics. However, Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) are the major causes of childhood mortality in Nigeria due to low vaccination uptake, poor health care system, inadequate personnel etc. The study therefore, call for an urgent action and greater national priority on child survival through interventions that will be integrated at community and family levels, targeting pregnant women, under-five children and accessing the hard-to-reach in order to meet the 2015 MDGs.