From Paul Orude Bauchi
Ahealth officer with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Oluseyi Olusunde, has commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State for recruiting 640 health workers.
Olusunde who disclosed this at a one-day media dialogue held in Jos, said the development will address child mortality in the state.
The Media Dialogue was organised to raise awareness on child mortality in Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba States.
Presenting trend on child mortality, the UNICEF Health Officer emphasized that data from the 2023 National Democratic Health Survey indicated that Nigeria accounts for 10 per cent of the global child deaths.
Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states showed rising neo-natal, infant and child deaths of 38, 45, and 37 children per 1,000 lives birth respectively. He said all hands must be on deck to stop child deaths in the country.
Olusunde, who stressed that child deaths are preventable, expressed optimism that the recruitment of additional health workers by Governor Yahaya Inuwa would improve child health in Gombe.
“There are two things we need to pay more attention to: human resources and commodity,” he stated.