By Auwal Umar
Gombe (Nigeria) – UNICEF has charged journalists to highlight issues around child survival and protection in their reportage.
UNICEF Health officer in the Bauchi Field Office, Oluseyi Olusunde gave the charge at a two-day training for Journalists on Ethical Reporting/ Media Dialogue on child survival and protection issues, organized by the Bauchi State Television with support from UNICEF.
He said with the current poor indices, there was need for all hands to be on deck to salvage the situation.
The 2013 National Health Demographic Survey (NDHS) shows that under 5 child mortality rate was 128 deaths per every 1,000 live birth, but per region, it was higher in the northeast geo-political zone.
It also shows that out of every 100,000 live births, 1,549 mothers die in northeast compared to 165 in the South-West sub region.
In a presentation on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Olusunde stressed that it was unfair for a woman to die while giving life, saying one of the key reasons for state of affairs was the lack of care for girls before pregnancy, as well as wide prevalence of low level of education in some northern states.
Earlier, the UNICEF Communication Officer in charge of Bauchi Field office, Samuel Kaalu said the objective of the training was to enhance the knowledge of participants on ethical reporting on child issues and bring them to the front burner of national events in the states supported by UNICEF Bauchi field office.
The training drew participants from Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Taraba and Jigawa with resource persons from UNICEF offices and consultants in media related fields.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2017/11/17/health/child-malnutrition-rise-nigeria-despite-drop-infant-mortality-survey/
