The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has urged women to deliver their babies in hospitals stressing that giving birth in health facilities reduces maternal and child mortality.
Health officer, UNICEF, Bauchi field office, Mr Oluseyi Olosunde made the assertion during a two-day media dialogue to commemorate the 2024 International Women’s Day held in Gombe.
According to him, the death of many newborn children and their maternal parents were because they did not go to hospitals for antenatal care and delivery which could help prevent pregnancy and birth-related problems.
He lamented that many Nigerian children die before reaching the age of five years as a result of lack of proper care, advising that empowering women economically would enable them access health services during pregnancy and labour thereby reducing maternal and child mortality rates.
Olosunde noted that in the host state, Gombe, about 37 children out of 1,000 die after delivery and 51 children under the age of five die every day in the state.
He added that the rate of such deaths is higher in rural areas and poor families and advocated that with improved access to health facilities and economic empowerment of women who are mothers, the mortality rates would be greatly minimised.