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Tag: UNICEF

  • Rivers, UNICEF to partner for development

    Rivers, UNICEF to partner for development

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said the government will partner United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to ensure the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

    Speaking yesterday during a visit by the UNICEF Country Representative, Mr. Mohammed Fall, to the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike directed government agencies to step up activities.

    He said his administration had established structures to ensure improvement in immunisation, children and maternal health care and sanitation.

    The governor lamented that his administration is yet to attain 100 per cent immunisation coverage.

    He said the Ministry of Health and agencies had been directed to work towards success.

    “Anything pertaining to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals will be prioritised for the benefit of our people.

    “We must improve in the areas where we are yet to attain 100 per cent. We must take steps to ensure we move at a pace where everyone will be happy,” Wike said.

    He added that the government will engage in advocacy in breastfeeding and immunisation.

    Fall hailed the governor for paying the counterpart funds for United Nations  programmes.

    He advised partnership with the government to increase areas of cooperation.

    Fall sought reduction in child and maternal mortality, as well as improved immunisation and breastfeeding so that the state will be a reference point in Nigeria and Southsouth.

    He said statistics in maternal mortality, child mortality and access to primary education were not encouraging.

    Fall said if Nigeria attained Sustainable Development Goals, it would impact on the continent.

  • ‘800,000 die of measles annually’ – UNICEF

    ‘800,000 die of measles annually’ – UNICEF

    Ondo state government in collaboration with the United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF) have concluded plans to immunise over 700,000 children between nine months and five years.

    The first phase of the exercise will come up between March 8 and 13 in  10 local government areas of the state.

    Children in the other eight local government areas would have their own immunisation between March 15 and 20 as second phase.

    Speaking at the media sensitisation meeting for measles vaccination campaign held in Akure,the state capital,the Secretary, Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Board(OSPHCDB) Dr Francis Akanbiemu said government had released N30m for the exercise.

    Akanbiemu who described measles as one of the deadly diseases, USAID over 800,000 children were being killed annually across the world by the disease.

    Read Also: UNICEF ranks Nigeria 11th highest on newborn deaths

    He however said it is a Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD).

    The state commissioner for Health,Dr Wahab Adegbenro said”we need to sensitise our people on how to combat the disease,we are just getting over the lassa fever,which claimed some lives in the state,we are doing our best to confront measles.

    Adegbenro said the state government had reactivated a burial law through which government must be notified on all burials in the state to enable medical experts identify the cause of the death to prevent spread of such virus.

    He said the burial law had been in existence but passive,adding that the state government had reactivated it with mandate to security agencies to prosecute its violators.

    Commissioner for Information and Orientation,Yemi Olowolabi expressed the need for sensitisation of mothers and the public on the campaign.

    He urged the media to give free jingles and write-up to the organisers of the immunisation as part of their social responsibility.

    The commissioner said everything must be done to prevent the re-occurence of last November scare,which forced many parents to hurriedly withdraw their wards from schools as a result of rumours on fake vaccination alleged to be applied on pupils by some soldiers.

    Many medical experts especially on Public Health including UNICEF Consultant,Haizatu Zango spoke on how to prevent measles.

     

     

  • World is failing newborn babies, says UNICEF

    World is failing newborn babies, says UNICEF

    Situation in Nigeria is improving but progress is very slow

    Global deaths of newborn babies remain alarmingly high, particularly among the world’s poorest countries, UNICEF has said in a new report on newborn mortality. Every year, 2.6 million newborns around the world do not survive their first month of life. One million of them die the day they are born.

    Globally, in low-income countries, the average newborn mortality rate is 27 deaths per 1,000 births, the report says. In high-income countries, that rate is 3 deaths per 1,000.

    “While we have more than halved the number of deaths among children under the age of five in the last quarter century, we have not made similar progress in ending deaths among children less than one month old,” said Henrietta H. Fore, UNICEF’s Executive Director. “Given that the majority of these deaths are preventable, clearly, we are failing the world’s poorest babies.”

    The report notes that eight of the 10 most dangerous places to be born are in sub-Saharan Africa, where pregnant women are much less likely to receive assistance during delivery due to poverty, conflict and weak institutions. With the newborn mortality rate of 29 deaths per 1,000 births, the global estimates rank Nigeria as the 11th highest on newborn deaths.

    In the recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the Government of Nigeria in 2016/17, the rate of newborn deaths per 1000 births is 37. This national average hides the differences between the 36 states and the slow progress in some of them.

    “A fair chance in life begins with a strong, healthy start. Unfortunately, many children in Nigeria are still deprived of this,” said Mohamed M Fall, UNICEF Nigeria’s Representative. “MICS data tells us that the trend is improving but urgent action needs to be taken for Nigeria to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. It cannot afford to fail its newborns today.”

    More than 80 per cent of newborn deaths are due to prematurity, asphyxia, complications during birth or infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. These deaths can be prevented with access to well-trained midwives during antenatal and postnatal visits as well as delivery at a health facility, along with proven solutions like clean water, disinfectants, breastfeeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact, proper cord care, and good nutrition. However, a shortage of well-trained health workers and midwives means that thousands don’t receive the life-saving support they need to survive.

    This month, UNICEF is launching Every Child ALIVE, a global campaign to demand and deliver solutions on behalf of the world’s newborns. Through the campaign, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments, health care providers, donors, the private sector, families and businesses to keep every child alive by:

    Recruiting, training, retaining and managing sufficient numbers of doctors, nurses and midwives with expertise in maternal and newborn care;

    Guaranteeing clean, functional health facilities equipped with water, soap and electricity, within the reach of every mother and baby;

    Making it a priority to provide every mother and baby with the life-saving drugs and equipment needed for a healthy start in life; and

    Empowering adolescent girls, mothers and families to demand and receive quality care.

     

  • ‘Seven million people in S/Sudan at risk of severe food insecurity’

    ‘Seven million people in S/Sudan at risk of severe food insecurity’

    Three UN agencies on Monday warned that seven million people in South Sudan, almost two-thirds of the population, could become severely food insecure in the coming months without sustained humanitarian assistance and access.

    The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in a statement said, if this happens, this will be the highest ever number of food insecure people in South Sudan.

    The period of greatest risk will be the lean season, between May and July.

    Particularly at risk are 155,000 people, including 29,000 children, who could suffer from the most extreme levels of hunger.

    In January, 5.3 million people, or nearly half of the population, were already struggling to find enough food each day and were in “crisis” or “emergency” levels of food insecurity (IPC Phases three and four), according to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released today.

    This represents a 40 per cent increase in the number of severely food insecure people compared to January 2017.

    The report comes one year after famine was declared in parts of South Sudan in February 2017.

    Improved access and a massive humanitarian response succeeded in containing and averting famine later last year.

    In spite of this, the agencies said, the  food insecurity outlook has never been so dire as it is now.

    The FAO, UNICEF and WFP warned that progress made to prevent people from dying of hunger could be undone, and more people than ever could be pushed into severe hunger and famine-like conditions during May to July unless assistance and access are maintained.

    “The situation is extremely fragile, and we are close to seeing another famine. The projections are stark.

    “If we ignore them, we’ll be faced with a growing tragedy.

    “If farmers receive support to resume their livelihoods, we will see a rapid improvement in the country’s food security situation due to increased local production,” said Serge Tissot, FAO Representative in South Sudan.

    A growing tragedy that must not be ignored

    Overall hunger levels have risen due to protracted conflict that led to reduced food production and constantly disrupted livelihoods.

    This was further exacerbated by economic collapse, which impacted markets and trade, making them unable to compensate for the decrease in local food production.

    Prolonged dry spells, flooding and continued pest infestation, such as Fall Armyworm, have also had a damaging impact.

    “The situation is deteriorating with each year of conflict as more people lose the little they had.

    “We are alarmed as the lean season when the harvest runs out is expected to start this year much earlier than usual,” said Adnan Khan, WFP Representative and Country Director.

    “Unless we can pre-position assistance rather than mount a more costly response during the rains, more families will struggle to survive.”

    READ ALSO: Let’s focus on agriculture

    In areas like Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Central Equatorial, riddled by reoccurring outbreaks of violent conflict and displacement, the proportion of people suffering from extreme food insecurity ranges from 52 to 62 percent – more than half the states’ combined population.

    The number is expected to keep increasing unless people find the means to receive, produce or buy their own food.

    Conflict and worsening hunger have led to already soaring rates of malnutrition.

    Without assistance, as of May, more than 1.3 million children under five will be at risk of acute malnutrition.

    Malnutrition rates are set to rise once the rainy season starts in April.

    Once this happens, many communities will become isolated and unable to reach medical services.

    The rains will make the country’s dirt roads unusable, and it will become more and more difficult to deliver supplies to medical centres.

    “We are preparing for rates of severe malnutrition among children never before seen in this country,” said Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF’s Representative in South Sudan.

    “Without an urgent response and access to those most in need, many children will die. We cannot allow that to happen.”

    Of particular concern are the areas around Leer, Mayendit, Longochuk and Renk where children under five face extremely critical levels of malnutrition

    In 2017, FAO, WFP, UNICEF and their partners rolled out their largest ever aid campaign, saving lives and containing famine. In 2017, agency partners conducted more than 135 rapid humanitarian missions to the most hard-to-reach areas, providing life-saving assistance to over 1.8 million people.

    FAO provided five million people, many in difficult-to-reach or conflict-affected areas, with seeds and tools for planting, and fishing kits in 2017.

    FAO has also vaccinated more than 6.1 million livestock to keep animals alive and healthy. This has been vital as most of the population rely on livestock for their survival.

    UNICEF and partners admitted some 208,000 children with severe acute malnutrition in 2017 and plan to reach 215,000 this year.

    Together with WFP, UNICEF took part in 51 rapid response missions in 2017 to reach communities cut off from regular aid assistance.

    The Rapid Response Mechanism will remain a key means of accessing conflict-affected communities in the coming months.

    At the peak of its response this year, WFP aims to reach 4.4 million people with life-saving food and nutrition assistance.

    WFP is pre-positioning food in areas likely to be cut off during the rainy season, so people will not go hungry.

    WFP plans to pre-position 140,000 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies – 20 percent more than in 2017 – in more than 50 locations across the country.

    NAN

  • UNICEF ranks Nigeria 11th highest on newborn deaths

    UNICEF ranks Nigeria 11th highest on newborn deaths

    The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has ranked Nigeria 11th position on newborn deaths globally.

    This is according to a new report on “Newborn Mortality’’ released by UNICEF, which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.

    According to the report, eight of the 10 most dangerous places to be born are sub-Saharan Africa, where pregnant women are much less likely to receive assistance during delivery due to poverty, conflict and weak institutions.

    “With the newborn mortality rate of 29 deaths per 1,000 births, the global estimates rank Nigeria as the 11th highest on newborn deaths.

    “In the recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the Government of Nigeria in 2016/17, the rate of newborn deaths per 1000 births is 37.

    “This national average hides the differences between the 36 states and the slow progress in some of them,’’ the report said.

    On the causes of newborn deaths, the report said that more than 80 per cent of newborn deaths were due to prematurity, asphyxia, complications during birth or infections such as pneumonia and sepsis.

    “These deaths can be prevented with access to well-trained midwives during antenatal and postnatal visits as well as delivery at a health facility.

    “These should be along with proven solutions like clean water, disinfectants, breastfeeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact, proper cord care, and good nutrition.

    “However, a shortage of well-trained health workers and midwives means that thousands don’t receive the life-saving support they need to survive,’’ it said.

    The report said that globally in low-income countries, the average newborn mortality rate was 27 deaths per 1,000 births, while in high-income countries, it was three deaths per 1,000.

    A UNICEF Nigeria statement by Eva Hinds, quoted Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria’s Representative as saying “a fair chance in life begins with a strong, healthy start.

    “Unfortunately, many children in Nigeria are still deprived of this, MICS data tells us that the trend is improving but urgent action needs to be taken for Nigeria to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).’’

    The statement also quoted Henrietta Fore, UNICEF’s Executive Director as saying “we have more than halved the number of deaths among children under the age of five in the last quarter century. We have not made similar progress in ending deaths among children less than one month old. Given that the majority of these deaths are preventable, clearly we are failing the world’s poorest babies.’’

  • UNICEF issues blank statement on Syria

    UNICEF issues blank statement on Syria

    UNICEF issued a blank “statement” on Tuesday to express its outrage at mass casualties among Syrian children in the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta and neighboring Damascus.

    “No words will do justice to the children killed, their mothers, their fathers and their loved ones,” the release from UNICEF’s regional director Geert Cappalaere began.

    There followed 10 empty lines with quote marks indicating missing text, and an explanatory footnote.

    “UNICEF is issuing this blank statement. We no longer have the words to describe children’s suffering and our outrage,” it said.

    “Do those inflicting the suffering still have words to justify their barbaric acts?”

    Read Also: UNICEF launches worldwide campaign ‘Every Child Alive’

    Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been besieging almost 400,000 civilians trapped inside Eastern Ghouta for years, but the siege has tightened this year and attacks on the enclave have intensified.

    Siege tactics and indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas contravene the internationally-agreed “rules of war”.

    Pro-government forces carried out air raids on Eastern Ghouta overnight on Monday and early on Tuesday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

    The observatory said no fewer than 100 people were killed in air raids, rocket strikes and shelling of the area on Monday.

    NAN

  • Anambra set to fight open defecation- RUWASSA

    Anambra set to fight open defecation- RUWASSA

    Mr Victor Ezekwo, Programme Manager of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency ( RUWASSA ) in Anambra, has expressed willingness to combat open defecation in the state.

    Ezekwo made the pledge in Awka on Tuesday in an interview with the News men

    He said that Gov. Willie Obiano’s administration was committed to ensuring improved healthy living standard of the people in the state.

    According to him, the state government will achieve 90 per cent access to water supply and sanitation reform policy by 2026.

    “The government has already achieved 90 per cent access to water and 85 per cent access to sanitation in Awka North and South as well as in Aguata Local Government Areas,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Anambra Assembly may pass 166.9b budget this week

    Ezekwo said the state government was able to achieve much under the joint partnership with UNICEF.

    He said that government would ensure payment of its counterpart fund of N309 million, representing 30 per cent, while UNICEF would pay N750 million or 70 per cent of the project cost.

    The project manager disclosed that the task force on sanitation had certified 130 communities in the three Local Government Areas free from open defecation.

    Ezekwo said that in appreciation of the state performance, UNICEF had approved extension of the programme to Dunukofia Local Government Area with construction of hand pumps, bore holes, solar boreholes and toilet facilities.

    He said that he was confident that the local government would meet its financial obligation in settling its counterpart fund.

    NAN

     

  • UNICEF launches worldwide campaign ‘Every Child Alive’

    UNICEF launches worldwide campaign ‘Every Child Alive’

    UNICEF launched a worldwide campaign “Every Child Alive” on Tuesday, to demand and deliver solutions on behalf of the world’s newborns, along with a new report on newborn mortality.

    The UNICEF Nepal said in a statement that in low-income countries, the average newborn mortality rate is 27 deaths per 1,000 births.

    Newborns from the most risky places are up to 50 times more likely to die than those from the safest places.

    According to the Nepal’s Demographic Health Survey 2016, one in 48 babies die in their first 28 days of life in the country, making up to 13,000 newborn deaths every year in Nepal.

    According to the report, 80 per cent of newborn deaths are due to premature complications during birth or infections such as pneumonia and sepsis.

    “These deaths can be prevented with access to well-trained midwives, along with proven solutions like clean water, disinfectants, breastfeeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact and good nutrition,” UNICEF  said.

    However, a shortage of well-trained health workers and midwives means that thousands do not receive the life-saving support they need to survive.

    While in Norway there are 218 doctors, nurses and midwives to serve 10,000 people, that ratio is 2.3 per 10,000 in Nepal, as per the report.

    Through the new campaign, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments, health care providers, donors, the private sector, families and businesses to keep every child alive.

    According to UNICEF Nepal, the campaign will complement the Nepali government’s commitments and efforts to reduce newborn deaths and stillbirths through its 20-year Every Newborn Action Plan launched in 2016.

    The Nepali government aims to reduce newborn mortality to below 11 deaths per 1,000 live births and a stillbirth rate of less than 13 per 1,000 total births by 2035 from the current rates of 23 and 18.4 respectively.

    Xinhua/NAN

  • FG launches 2017/2018 annual school census

    FG launches 2017/2018 annual school census

    The Ministry of Education on Tuesday launched the 2017/2018 Annual School Census, aimed at solving the problem of out-of-school children.

    The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said at the ceremony in Abuja that the census was designed to obtain the accurate number of schools and validate the figures.

    The theme of the launch is “Making Every Learner’s Environment Count: A Panacea for the Dearth of Empirical Education Data and as a way of solving the problem of out-of-school Children Syndrome in Nigeria”.

    The minister said that five states had already been mapped and placed on the website www.nemis.gov.ng for accessibility by all.

    “Imo, Edo, Ondo, Kogi and Taraba states have keyed into this initiative and we hope all states will key into this exercise and link up so that our data could be validated promptly.’’

    He said the launch signalled the simultaneous commencement of the enumeration of all schools, pupils, teachers and facilities at the basic and post-basic levels in the 36 states and FCT.

    “The conduct of the Annual School Census is in line with the provision of the Nigeria Education Management Information System Policy of 2007 which provides for the collection of education data beginning from the school.

    “Thus, the Education Management Information System processes have since 2009 been decentralised to the states in order to enhance efficiency in the collection, collation, management and dissemination of credible, reliable and timely data in Nigeria.

    He added that the ministry, through NEMIS, would coordinate and monitor the process, while states would conduct the exercise.

    The minister called for cooperation and full participation of the military, paramilitary, private schools, almajari centres and integrated Quranic schools in the exercise.

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono, urged federal and states education ministries as well as development partners to organise training on school records keeping for head teachers and principals.

    He said that the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with UNICEF, had organised trainings on school records keeping in 27 States and the FCT.

    He said the training would continue until all school heads in the basic and post basic levels were trained and cascaded to other teachers in the system.

    He, therefore, urged states to take the exercise serious collect more accurate and reliable data.

    Also, Mr Adebayo Solomon, Education Specialist and Consultant at the World Bank, stressed the need to improve data collection mechanism in the country.

    Solomon said that the 611 million-dollar project targets the utilisation of 90 per cent of the money to ensure the return of children to school, adding that it would last for five years.

    NAN

  • UNICEF, WHO to vaccinate over 2 million children in Borno, Yobe

    UNICEF, WHO to vaccinate over 2 million children in Borno, Yobe

    Over two million children are expected to be vaccinated against the children killer diseases within Borno and Yobe with the support of WHO, UNICEF and other development partners working in the states.

    In Borno State, the State Ministry of Health with the development partnership is to vaccinate more than 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 57 wards in 25 Local Government Areas in Borno State, while Yobe State is to vaccinate a total of 771,778 children between the ages of 1-6 years against Cerecbro Spinal Meningitis.

    According to Dr. Chima Onuekwe, Health Communication/Promotion Officer WHO, more than 3,000 WHO-trained volunteers, including senior supervisors, monitors, healthcare workers and community leaders, will immunize1.2 million IDPs aged from 9 months to 45 years at designated health facilities. The campaign began on 5 February, and is expected to continue until14 February.

    Dr. Chima was also quoted as saying that, UNICEF supported the Borno State Government with logistics for vaccine distribution and social mobilization. Through the deployment of over 2,000 community volunteers and key influencers, UNICEF enhanced community engagement for yellow fever preventive vaccination and ensured that community is aware of the campaign and yellow fever risks.

    “If we miss out on children of Borno, often living in very difficult conditions, we deprive large number of children of lifesaving vaccines. It is not only their right but our collective duty to ensure that they survive and thrive,” said Mohammed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria Representative.

    To ensure a high-quality campaign, WHO worked with the Borno State Ministry of Health to coordinate and facilitate the training of healthcare workers at all levels, arrange logistics for vaccine distribution and deliver messages on health risks to communities.

    “Although Borno State has not reported an outbreak of yellow fever this year, vaccinating internally displaced persons is an exercise of high public health importance to protect most-at-risk populations living in high-risk conditions and prevent the spread of yellow fever, if an outbreak occurs,” said Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, WHO Nigeria Representative.

     

    The Borno State Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Mshelia, emphasized the   importance of vaccinating IDPs in camps and host communities.

    “The vulnerable living conditions of millions of people in Borno State and the tide of outbreaks across 16 States in Nigeria make it imperative to target the most-at-risk people with yellow fever vaccination in the State.”

    These efforts are part of a larger yellow fever vaccination campaign that seeks to vaccinate more than 25 million people throughout 2018, in the largest yellow fever vaccination drive in Nigeria’s history. This fits into a wider public health goal to eliminate yellow fever epidemics globally by 2026 through the Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) Strategy, steered by WHO, Gavi and UNICEF.

    In Yobe State, the state is embarking on a massive vaccination and enlightenment   campaign against Cerecbro Spinal Meningitis as the heat period sets.

    The commissioner of Health in the State Dr. Bello Kawuwa said a total of “771,778 children would be vaccinated”, adding that, “it will be conducted at health centres and designated fixed posts. The exercise is staggered into two phases; the first phase which encompasses 8 LGAs begins today, Wednesday 7th to 11th of February 2018, while the second phase in 9 LGAs commences on 14th , 10th , 18th of February 2018”.

    Dr. Kawuwa also disclosed that Yobe is the only state that secured a golden opportunity to implement the MenAfric vaccination campaign across all her local Government Areas, stressing that, “some states are implementing outbreak response only in the most affected LGAs”.

    He urged parents and caregivers to ensure that all children of the age category are immunized regardless of their immunization status.