The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said 280,000 newborn babies die within the first 28 days of life due to the problems of prematurity.
Pate also said the country records 162,000 childhood pneumonia-related deaths annually.
He made this statement on Wednesday in Abuja during a briefing to commemorate the 2025 World Pneumonia and Prematurity Days, as well as the launch of the Nigerian Child Survival Action Plan and the National Birth Defect Surveillance Guideline.
The 2025 World Prematurity Day, themed “Give preterm babies a strong start for a brighter future,” and the World Pneumonia Day, themed “Child survival, focusing on pneumonia’s impact as the leading infectious cause of child death,” align with the aspirations and shared values of the Sector-Wide Approach in offering quality care for newborns and under-fives in this era of climate change.
World Prematurity Day is observed annually on November 17 to raise awareness of preterm birth and its impact on the health and well-being of affected babies and their families.
World Pneumonia Day is observed on November 12 to raise awareness and educate people about how to combat the disease.
Pate, who was represented by the Director of Health Promotion, John Urakpa, said data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey revealed that the country’s under-five mortality rate declined from 201 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 110 in 2023—representing a 45 per cent reduction.
He, however, noted that despite this progress, approximately 850,000 preventable newborn and under-five deaths are predicted to occur annually in Nigeria.
He warned that the country remains off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing under-five mortality to less than 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030.
The Minister said about 100 million childhood pneumonia cases occur globally each year, causing around 808,920 deaths, with Nigeria and 14 other countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the total.
“Nigeria and 14 other countries account for about three-quarters of the global childhood pneumonia mortality. These unfavourable indices, and those of other childhood killer diseases, are still responsible for the observably high under-five mortality of 110/1,000 live births as reported by the 2024 NDHS. It is true that the global health community has swiftly mobilised against malaria, polio, tuberculosis, and HIV. Unfortunately, childhood pneumonia, termed the ‘forgotten killer’ of the under-fives, has not received priority attention as an important contributor to global childhood morbidity and mortality.
“The collaboration of the Ministry with the Every Breath Counts Coalition and the Paediatric Association of Nigeria in the last five years has had an invaluable impact. The development of the In-Patient Pneumonia Treatment Algorithm has not only strengthened the clinical skills of secondary and tertiary healthcare workers in managing severe and complicated pneumonia but, to a great extent, accounted for the drop in the under-five mortality rate from 132/1,000 in 2018 to 110/1,000 live births in 2024, as reported by the NDHS.
“While we celebrate the significant reduction in the overall under-five mortality rate, unfortunately, it is a mixed feeling for the health and survival of the newborn baby. A retrospective assessment of our data over the past 35 years showed a single-digit drop from 42/1,000 in 1990 to 41/1,000 live births in the 2024 NDHS. Apart from the huge financial and psychological burden on families, the deaths of 280,000 newborn babies within the first 28 days of life due to prematurity, and an additional 162,000 childhood pneumonia-related deaths annually, place a moral burden on the Nigerian health system,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pate said that recognising the need for an effective child survival strategy to enhance health outcomes and promote long-term economic and social growth, the Ministry, in collaboration with key stakeholders, developed the Nigerian Child Survival Action Plan to reduce under-five mortality to below 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030.
The plan adopts a holistic, multi-sectoral approach that integrates health, education, nutrition, and child protection to ensure children’s survival and overall development.
He added that one of the major developmental challenges for children under five is birth defects, a significant yet under-recognised cause of child mortality in Nigeria.
He said data show an increasing burden, prompting the development of the National Birth Defects Surveillance Guideline 2025 to provide a standardised framework for early detection, improved management, and evidence-based prevention through a hospital-based surveillance system nationwide.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, stated that the Ministry is working towards strengthening primary healthcare delivery at community levels; expanding newborn and child survival interventions, including oxygen therapy, Kangaroo Mother Care, and early breastfeeding; and enhancing data-driven decision-making to guide equitable investments and close service delivery gaps across the country.
“I invite us all to use this commemoration as an opportunity to renew our shared commitment—to work collaboratively across all levels of the health system, to prioritize innovation and inclusion in child health service delivery, and to ensure that no child, regardless of geography or circumstance, is left behind,” Kachollom, who was represented by the Director of the Child Health Division, Dr. Amina Mohammed, added.
The Health Manager for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and HIV at UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Martin Dohlsten, highlighted that pneumonia remains a leading infectious cause of death among children globally and in Nigeria.
“While preterm birth is a major contributor to neonatal mortality in the country, together, these challenges demand coordinated action and sustained advocacy. The themes for 2025 really underscore the collective responsibility to ensure that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to survive, but also to thrive.
“UNICEF Nigeria looks forward to working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and partners to amplify these messages, mobilise stakeholders, and strengthen interventions to safeguard the health of Nigeria’s children.
“By commemorating these days under a unified event, we reaffirm our shared vision for a future where no child in Nigeria dies from preventable causes and every newborn gets the best possible start in life,” he said.
