Speaking at the Central and West Africa (CWAR) Advanced Nutrition Programme for Anglophone Countries with the theme: “Maternal and Infant Nutrition: Taking Advantage of the Window of Opportunity in the 1st 1,000 Days of Life”, organised by the Nestle Nigeria Plc, held at the IITA, Ibadan, Prof Ezeaka disclosed that the country had the highest infant mortality rate in Africa and second highest in the world after India.
Ezeaka of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, disclosed that children between the ages of 0-30 days are being abandoned, while those between the ages of 5-10 years are given greater attention.
According to her, attention must be shifted to the newborn babies with a view to reducing and preventing diseases associated with adults.
While noting that 90 per cent of deaths among the newborn babies were preventable, she disclosed that 700 of them die on daily basis and 240,000 deaths occur in a year.
She said the causes of the deaths include stillbirths, premature deliveries and infections.
She warned that if the situation is not brought under control, Nigeria might not be able to meet the Millennium Development Goal 4.
She called on government at all levels to put in place stable health system and data, as well as build capacity and health policies to prevent newborn deaths in the country.
On the way forward, she stressed the need for good eating habit for women before, during and after pregnancy.
She explained that malnutrition among women is a major factor responsible for newborn deaths.
She added that Bosom feeding for the 1st 1,000 days of the newborn is important in his life.
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