Paediatricians Seek Urgent Action on Child Health

Paediatricians under the umbrella of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), have called for urgent action to prevent the country from missing Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) targets.

They also condemned the Federal Government’s allocation of just 4.3 percent to the health sector in the 2026 budget, describing it as insufficient evidence of political commitment to child health, stating that the allocation falls far short of the 15 percent benchmark agreed under the 2001 Abuja Declaration and risks undermining progress towards achieving SDG-3 targets.

The PAN President, Dr Ekanem Ekure, made this remarks on behalf of her members at  the 57th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of PAN, held at the Emfelix Events and Conference Centre in Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, as she highlighted critical challenges threatening the survival and well-being of Nigerian children.

The conference themed,  “Achieving SDG-3 and Child Healthcare through Innovative Funding Models and Technology-Driven Solutions”  aims to tackle challenges facing the quality of children healthcare services.

Professor Ekure emphasised that the funding gap poses a major threat to ongoing efforts to eliminate preventable deaths among newborns and children under five. Citing Nigeria’s high neonatal mortality rate of over 41 deaths per 1,000 live births, and under-five mortality rate of more than 110 per 1,000 live births, attributing these to malnutrition, low immunisation coverage, and uneven access to quality healthcare.

“Although national policies and strategies align with SDG-3, Nigeria remains off track, which is both tragic and preventable,” she stated.

She also referenced environmental and social threats to child health, including the Ogijo lead poisoning incident in Ogun State, where children were exposed to toxic lead from illegal battery recycling operations. Professor Ekure commended the closure of the affected facilities and called for comprehensive remediation, treatment for affected children, and stricter enforcement of environmental regulations.

The paediatrician further expressed concern over rising cases of child abuse and abduction in parts of northern Nigeria, linking these to poverty, insecurity, climate change, conflict, and emerging public health risks.

To address these challenges, she urged governments, development partners, and the private sector to adopt innovative funding approaches such as public-private partnerships, blended financing, and outcome-based funding tied to measurable child health indicators.

She also highlighted the need for technology-driven solutions including digital immunization tracking, disease surveillance, and telemedicine to enhance service delivery and accessibility.

“Child health must be considered part of our broader national development agenda, not an isolated sectorial goal,” she stressed, calling for sustained investments and creative financing to reverse the country’s negative child health trends.