280,000 newborns die annually in Nigeria from prematurity – Pate

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has revealed that about 280,000 newborn babies in Nigeria die within their first 28 days of life each year, primarily due to complications from prematurity.

He also noted that the country records approximately 162,000 childhood deaths annually linked to pneumonia.

Prof. Pate stated this in Abuja, during a media briefing to mark the 2025 World Pneumonia and World Prematurity Day.

Prof. Pate who was represented by the Director of Health Promotion, John Urakpa, cited data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey indicating that under-five mortality in Nigeria declined from 201 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 110 in 2023, which was a 45 percent reduction.

He stressed that while progress had been made, reducing preventable deaths among newborns and young children remained a national priority.

The minister raised concerns that despite progress in reducing child mortality rates, Nigeria still records around 850,000 preventable newborn and under-five deaths annually.

He further warned that the country remains off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing under-five mortality to fewer than 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030.

Prof. Pate also unveiled the National Birth Defects Surveillance Guideline 2025, which provides a standardised framework for early detection, management, and prevention of birth defects through hospital-based surveillance across the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, represented by the Director of the Child Health Division, Dr. Amina Mohammed, said efforts were on to strengthen primary healthcare systems, expand child survival interventions, such as oxygen therapy, Kangaroo Mother Care, and early breastfeeding, as well as enhance data-driven decision-making to improve equitable access to healthcare.

UNICEF Nigeria’s Health Manager for Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and HIV, Dr. Martin Dohlsten, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting the government in tackling pneumonia and prematurity.

He described both as major contributors to child deaths in Nigeria, and called for sustained advocacy, innovation, and collaboration to ensure that every child survives and thrives.

“By commemorating World Pneumonia and Prematurity Days together, we reaffirm our shared vision for a future where no child in Nigeria dies from preventable causes, and every newborn gets the best possible start in life,” Dohlsten said.

World Pneumonia Day, observed annually on November 12, themed “Child Survival: Focusing on Pneumonia’s Impact as the Leading Infectious Cause of Child Death,” seeks to raise awareness and promote preventive measures against pneumonia, the world’s leading infectious cause of death among children.

Similarly, World Prematurity Day, marked on November 17, with the theme, themed “Give Preterm Babies a Strong Start for a Brighter Future,” draws attention to the challenges and long-term impacts of preterm birth on babies and their families.