The Paediatricians Association of Nigeria (PAN) has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to allocate 4.3 per cent of the 2026 national budget to the health sector, describing it as a reflection of poor prioritisation of child health and welfare.
The President of PAN, Dr Ekanem Ekure, said the allocation fell far below the 15 per cent benchmark set by the Abuja Declaration and underscored inadequate investment in the well-being and future of Nigerian children.
Ekure also called for comprehensive environmental remediation and medical intervention for victims of the Ogijo lead poisoning incident in Ogun State, which she linked to recycled battery factories, noting that children were the worst affected.
She spoke on Thursday in Abeokuta at the opening ceremony of PAN’s 57th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, themed “Achieving SDG-3 and Child Health Care through Innovative Funding Models and Technology-Driven Solutions.”
According to her, the theme reflects the urgency of Nigeria’s worsening child health indicators and the need for coordinated action by government, professionals, and other stakeholders.
Ekure said Nigeria continues to shoulder a disproportionate burden of preventable childhood illnesses and deaths, despite ongoing interventions.
“Neonatal and under-five mortality rates remain unacceptably high at 41 and 110 per 1,000 live births respectively. We are also confronted with persistent malnutrition, suboptimal immunisation coverage, and unequal access to quality child health services,” she said.
She expressed concern that although the offending factories in Ogijo had been shut down, more decisive action was required.
“Comprehensive remediation, sustained medical care for victims, stronger regulatory enforcement, and coordinated national action to protect vulnerable children remain imperative,” she said.
The PAN president further lamented widespread abuse of children, including abductions from schools and markets, particularly in northern Nigeria, describing the trend as a gross violation of children’s fundamental rights.
She noted that poverty, conflict, insecurity, climate change, and emerging health threats continue to compound child health challenges, stressing that paediatricians are morally obligated to speak out.
Ekure said while Nigeria’s child health policies align with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and end preventable child deaths, the country remains off track in achieving the target.
She said meeting the SDG-3 target by 2030 would require increased funding, accelerated action, and innovative approaches beyond conventional methods.
She advocated alternative financing models such as public-private partnerships, blended finance, and outcome-based funding, alongside the deployment of technology to enhance immunisation tracking, disease surveillance, data utilisation, telemedicine, and digital health platforms.
Ekure urged the Federal Government to demonstrate strong political will by treating child health as a national development priority, while also calling on state governments to significantly increase health sector funding with a clear focus on child health.
“Adequate investment in child health is a cost-effective pathway to improved health outcomes and accelerated socio-economic development,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Isiaq Salako, represented by the Deputy Director of Child Health, Dr Omokore Oluseyi, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing child mortality.
Salako said the National Child Survival Action Plan had been finalised and would focus on evidence-based interventions such as newborn resuscitation, integrated nutrition services, and community-based management of childhood illnesses.
He added that the ministry was leveraging technology by digitalising integrated community management platforms to improve real-time diagnosis, referral, and data capture.
He noted that Nigeria accounts for over 17 per cent of global under-five deaths, largely due to preventable conditions including prematurity, pneumonia, malaria, and malnutrition, and called for stakeholder support in addressing implementation challenges.
In his keynote address, Prof Olugbenga Mokolu of the University of Ilorin emphasised that innovative financing and effective deployment of technology are critical to achieving SDG targets, particularly in reducing child mortality.
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