Nigeria Has Highest Maternal Mortality Rate in the World: Senate Committee

With 2,300 children below five years of age and 145 child-bearing women dying every day, Nigeria has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, it was learnt yesterday.

Citing the report of the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuosho, at a press briefing in National Assembly, said women and children had become endangered species.

He lamented that despite different kinds of ailments and diseases plaguing the citizens, annual budgetary allocations to the health sector have continued to decrease, a move he said the current National Assembly would reverse.

According to him, only N51 billion (2.78 per cent) of N2.24 trillion total capital vote has been allocated to the health sector while N2.52 billion (8.49) per cent of recurrent expenditure has been allocated to the sector.

He therefore said the National Assembly would in this year, increased the health sector allocation to the tune of 15 per cent of the total budget in accordance with African Union Abuja Declaration of 2001.

He also said the legislative institution would ensure the implementation of 1 per cent consolidated revenue fund in National Health Act adding that it will support government proposal to build 10,000 primary health care.

Tejuosho also recalled a report in October, 2016, which showed that Nigeria spends over $1 billion (N305.250) on medical treatment abroad every.

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