Community health practitioners decry high child mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases

The National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN) has expressed concern over the high rate of under-five mortality in Nigeria despite the global decline. 

The association said one-quarter of these deaths could be prevented through vaccinations.

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The National President of the association, Comrade Kabir Yahaya Ahmed, stated this in Abuja during a news briefing organised by the association in collaboration with the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health@Scale, PACFaH@Scale, in commemoration of this year’s African Vaccination Week.

He said the government could do more to support vaccination in Nigeria by adequately funding immunization, and also through the immediate inclusion of Community Health Practitioners in the midwives’ service scheme (MSS) by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

He said this would ensure everyone in hard-to-reach communities is vaccinated.

While commending the federal government for increased funding for health from N704bn in 2021 to N835bn in 2022 and for consistently fulfilling its counterpart fund commitment for GAVI immunization, he said the health budget stands at 4.88 per cent when compared to the total budget. 

He said, “This is still below the 2001 Abuja Declaration minimum of 15 per cent agreed by African leaders including Nigeria.”