Nigeria’s death rate extremely high- N/Assembly

The National Assembly Thursday expressed concerns that Nigeria’s mortality indices remained extremely high despite huge resources sunk into the health sector over the years by government at all levels.

It urged prioritization of health security in Nigeria on the template of the Universal Health Coverage which, it said, could not be achieved through the exclusive National Health Insurance Scheme being run by the Federal Government.

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Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, who briefed reporters alongside his counterpart from the House of Representatives, said the issue had been put at front burner of discourse at the 4th Annual Legislative Summit on Health slated for next week in Abuja.

He said: “The actions by the legislature have become critically necessary as the country’s mortality indices have remained extremely high with minimal improvements, despite the magnitude of resources contributed to improve the statistics.

“For instance, the National Demographic Health Survey (2018) findings revealed that in the seven years preceding the survey, infant mortality rate was 67 deaths per 1,000 live births; under-5 mortality was 132 deaths per 1,000 live births; and Maternal mortality ratio, 512 deaths per 100,000 live births.