By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria has called on the Nigerian Government and Partners to champion the fight against childhood pneumonia, the largest infectious, killer disease of children under the age of five.
SCI in a statement issued yesterday said the theme for this year’s World Pneumonia Day, “championing the fight to stop pneumonia”, indicated that urgent action was needed to protect the 700,000 children who are denied the chance to reach their fifth birthday every year.
“Almost all those deaths are preventable through vaccination, adequate nutrition, access to handwashing and basic health services, including access to oxygen treatment at the primary healthcare level. However, thousands of children are unable to access the essential health services and treatments, which can tackle pneumonia and save their lives.
“We are calling on the government to prioritize equitable access to primary health care, including prevention through immunization, prevention and treatment of wasting, and diagnosis and treatment of common causes of illness and death – for every child.
“Keep up the momentum of investing in uninterrupted and sustainable access to oxygen in all healthcare facilities in Nigeria.
“The government should also strengthen essential health & nutrition services and make the needed investment in primary healthcare, inclusive of community-based primary healthcare, to prevent thousands of children from dying from pneumonia and other preventable causes.
“Prioritize, introduce, and scale up access to pneumonia-fighting vaccines such as PCV for all children, especially targeting children suffering from or at risk of severe acute malnutrition and zero-dose children.
“Prioritize the prevention and treatment of severe acute malnutrition and ensure sustainable and adequate funding for nutrition to accelerate a reduction of child deaths from pneumonia. Ensure every child has access to life-saving treatment, including antibiotics and oxygen when and where they need it. Now is the time for Federal, State and Local Governments to take deliberate steps to leverage COVID-19 oxygen investments and ongoing funding opportunities to keep up
the momentum to improve basic oxygen access and use – so no child is left fighting for breath. “
