Child Mortality: 70% of deliveries in Bauchi take place at home, says NDHS

A disturbing revelation about child mortality has been made public by the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), stating that only three out of 10 child deliveries take place at healthcare centres, representing 30 per cent.

The data also showed that this practice is similar in Gombe and Taraba states. In Taraba, 67 percent of deliveries take place at home, while five out of ten deliveries in Gombe also occur at home.

Shockingly, the data further indicated that only three out of ten children have access to postnatal care in Bauchi and Taraba, while only half of the infants in Gombe receive postnatal care. In these three states, the NDHS revealed that three out of ten children are not receiving immunisation.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and SDGs, by 2030, countries should reduce the neonatal mortality rate to 17 per 1,000 births. As of 2023, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia record about 3 percent. In comparison, Ghana records 21, Niger 34.3, and Nigeria 41.

Corroborating this, a paediatrician with JUTH, Dr. Adah Ruth, stated that the death of a child is a significant loss to humanity, emphasising that every child deserves to live as guaranteed by the constitution and universally accepted in the Child Rights Convention.

Speaking on Thursday in Jos at a one-day media dialogue organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ruth remarked that the death of any child is a “loss of genetic code” for that baby.

“Every child carries a potential to solve a problem in this life, but losing such a baby means missing that potential,” she said.

According to her, the mortality rate of a country reflects a great deal about the nation.

“It speaks volumes about the political will, health indicators, and environmental health. Many factors come into play when a child dies, including socioeconomic development, environment, quality of healthcare, access to healthcare, and the health system.

“If Elon Musk had died as a baby, who would be solving some of the problems he is addressing today? This means every child deserves to live, and we must all play our roles to reduce child mortality,” she said.