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By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye.
UNICEF Nigeria held a two-day media dialogue in Lagos with journalists from select media organisations, Kannywood Actor and UNICEF champion Ali Nuhu, Dr. Chioma Nwakanma-Akanno, a doctor and influencer, and Olabintan Odunola, team lead at The Health City, and Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian chess master, coach and founder of Chess in Slums Africa and Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje, to identify and discuss the sources of misinformation about COVID-19 and polio, and its associated risks. The dialogue examined different strategies for reporting COVID-19 misinformation and polio vaccination, and dispelling myths.
Provide guidance on how to use evidence-based resources and best practices when reporting on COVID-19, polio response, and routine immunisation.
In this interview at the conclusion of the dialogue, UNICEF Chief of Health, Eduardo Celades discussed why the new data should prompt stakeholders to take action, especially with only seven years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also highlighted that the country lacks the capacity to cater for 8 million children born annually.
What informed this media dialogue? Could it be on the latest statistics of the number of children given birth to or the number of those not immunised?
In the last few months and weeks, we got new data that we hope will help us formulate our response and our work with the government in Nigeria. And secondly, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) that we have done and the general analysis of what we are doing. What are the new issues and how can we face them? The other new data is the global mortality trends of 2000-2020, these are new reports that were launched a couple of weeks ago and we want to share that with you because we think this needs to influence how we work and to define how we work with government, the public and other actors. We think, all of us should align and have a common narrative, that can be very impactful.
Why do you think a set of influencers are the right people to influence Nigeria?
We are thinking of a new way of working. In the UN, we work only with the traditional media, but we thought it would be good for us to try different approaches and to have in the same room, traditional media, social media, some celebrities and doctors that use social media to influence. And so, we think this new way of working can have a lot of impact and if it works, we will continue to explore further.
Do you know of any country that has adopted this process and it worked?
I think we are learning by doing. We are trying to innovate. Nigeria is one of the most complex places in the world in terms of the public health issues that Nigeria is facing. It is the second country in the world with zero dose children, the ones that have not received any single vaccine. It is the highest country in the world with a high rate of maternal mortality. Last year, it had the biggest outbreak of measles in the world. It is the country with extremely weak health systems. So, we are trying to think from different angles because UNICEF and the UN cannot do it alone. To do that, we need the government to work with journalists, social media influencers to make the change that is needed.
What are those vaccine preventable diseases in Nigeria?
We have a wide range of vaccines. At this moment, we have about 18 antigens in the country starting from Rotavirus for diarrhea, pneumococcal for pneumonia, but as well as vaccines for measles, diphtheria, tetanus etc. So, we know that vaccines work, and it is the most powerful tool used for more than 200 years to reduce child mortality. Now the challenge is how do we ensure that the children in need have access to it.
You said Nigeria health wise has improved but might not meet the SDGs target, can you elaborate on this?
Well, the data and analysis are telling us that Nigeria is progressing towards the SDG 3, but the progress is insufficient to meet the target. The country has been able to go through the COVID-19 pandemic and still progressed. For example, we saw how routine immunisation increased, very few countries managed to do that, but Nigeria did it. We saw how under five mortalities have been reduced over the last few years.
But again, it’s insufficient because for example, neonatal mortality is not going down and with maternal mortality it is the same. We have seen that it has reduced by 12 percent in the last 20 years but that is not enough if we are to meet the SDGs target. So, from UNICEF’s side, our main approach is to accelerate the interventions to make an impact. We are left with just seven years to 2030 to meet the SDGs targets. Now we are halfway and if we continue like this, it’s not going to be enough. Secondly, some partners and donors will leave the country in a few years. So, we have a window of opportunity now if we work together, mobilise resources and if the government is committed, we can achieve our target.
Can you elaborate on the concern that 8 million are born annually in Nigeria, but the government cannot cater for them?
It is not a concern, it is a reality that in Nigeria it is estimated that 8 million children are born every year, like there are 7 million pregnant women now for example. So, the key question is how can we ensure these women and children will survive? How can we reduce child mortality, especially newborn? Because we are not managing to do that. How can we ensure no woman dies when she is pregnant? The latest report is telling us that there are a number of pregnant women who die due to pregnancy related causes, it’s about 82,000 per year. What we are trying to do as UNICEF and the government is to strengthen primary healthcare and to have enough human resources, commodities and delivery, financial resources, and good data to bend the curve and really accelerate progress.
