Skip to main content

UNICEF says 26,039 babies born on New Year’s Day in Nigeria

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says an estimated 26,039 babies will be born in Nigeria on New Year’s Day.

UNICEF’s Nigeria Representative, Mr Peter Hawkins, said on Wednesday in a statement Nigerian babies would account for almost seven per cent of the estimated 392,078 babies to be born on New Year’s Day globally.

Hawkins said that this figure is the third highest number of babies in the world, after India with 67,385; and China, 46,299.

“The beginning of a new year and this year, a new decade, is a chance for us to reflect on our hopes and dreams for the future of Nigeria, especially for those who stand to inherit this country; its children.

“As we start each new year, we are reminded of the potential of each and every Nigerian child embarking on her or his life’s journey if only they are given that chance to survive and thrive,” he said.

The representative said, however, that for millions of newborns around the world, including in Nigeria, the day of their birth was far less auspicious, and sadly, was often their last.

According to him, 2.5 million newborns died in just their first month of life around the world in 2018; about a third of them on the first day of life.

“In Nigeria, this was 318,522 deaths; among those children, most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis.

“In addition, more than 2.5 million babies are born dead each year, with more than 400,000 stillborn deaths taking place in Nigeria annually,” he said.

Hawkins said that UNICEF’s Every Child Alive campaign called for immediate investment in health workers with the right training.

According to him, workers, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth.

“Too many mothers and newborns are not being cared for by a trained and equipped midwife or nurse, and the results are devastating.

“We can ensure that millions of babies survive their first day and live into this decade and beyond if every mother has good pregnancy care and every baby is born into a safe pair of hands.

“That means having well-equipped facilities with well-trained staff who can be there to welcome every Nigerian child into this world safely and healthily.

“This is especially critical as we now only have 10 years to deliver on the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” Hawkins said.

ridoola.blogspot.com.ng
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EFCC insists on presentation of Grace Tiaga's death certificate in P&ID case

Tiaga's counsel communicated the unavailability of the death certificate, requesting additional time. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is steadfast in its demand for the death certificate of the late Grace Tiaga, a former director of legal services at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, to be submitted in court. Tiaga faced charges brought by the EFCC, alleging her involvement in receiving payments from Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) to manipulate the 20-year gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) against Nigeria. The EFCC claims that these illicit payments were made through her daughter and persisted even after her retirement. The accusations extend to Tiaga's purported failure to adhere to due process while providing legal counsel on the GSPA. Initially facing eight counts of fraud, she was remanded to Suleja prison in 2019, later granted bail, and the charges were expanded to 13 counts. As the trial progressed, the prosecution p...
Post a Comment
Read more

List of America's one-term presidents & why they were not re-elected

U.S. President Joe Biden becomes the most recent entrant in a list of president who served for only one term. U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he would not be seeking re-election for a second term in the November 5, 2024 elections. Biden, in a statement said that he would be focused on completing his remaining term, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris as his most preferred nominee for the Democratic Party to take on former President Donald Trump. Joe Biden endorses Kamala Harris as Democrats' candidate after withdrawing from race [X:@JoeBiden] Biden now joins a list of former U.S. Presidents that only served for one term. John Adams (1797-1801) The second president of the United States, John Adams was a Founding Father who faced significant challenges during his presidency, including conflicts with political adversaries and foreign nations. His support for the Alien and Sedition Acts, perceived as a violation of civil liberties, contributed to his unpopulari...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tinubu appoints MKO Abiola's son, Jamiu as SSA on Linguistics & Foreign Matters

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jamiu Abiola as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Linguistics and Foreign Matters. The appointee is one of the children of the late Chief Moshood Kolawole Abiola , the winner of the 1993 presidential election annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida . According to a statement by Segun Imohiosen , the Director of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, Jamiu's appointment took effect from November 14, 2024. Imohiosen said the appointment aligns with the provisions of the Certain Political and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act 2008, as amended. Until his recent deployment, the appointee served as the Special Assistant to the President of Special Duties in the office of the Vice President. Tinubu tasked Jamiu to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new ...
Post a Comment
Read more