By Iduozee Paul, Benin
A university don from thelgbinedion University, Okada, Prof. Dominic Osayande Osaghae, has listedenvironmental hazard, suckle cell, jaundice, diarrhoea and other diseasesaffecting children survival in Nigeria.
Prof. Osaghae who is the deanof the School of Clinical Medicine,department of paediatrics and childhealth made the assertion at the 15th lnaugural lecture, with the topic: “The Roadblocks on the Highway to Survivalof Children: The Interventions of a Paediatrician,” at lgbinedionUniversity, Okada, Benin city.
He disclosed that, theroadblocks on the highway to survival ofchildren, the interventions of a paediatrician illustrates the healthchallenges encountered by childrenduring their growing years from birth to adolescence. “Theroadblocks are the common diseaseconditions encountered by children asthey experience and navigate the stagesof childhood, such as neonatal, infancy, pre-school, school age and adolescence periods.”
“The identified diseases include, birthasphyxia, low birth weight, sepsis and pathological jaundice, diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria,malnutrition, vaccine preventable diseases, anaemia, febrile, convulsions,environmental hazards and sickle cell disorders. Most of the diseases aretreatable and preventable, but pose more serious challenges to children,parents, society and paediatricians.
“Needless to say that the diseases arethe symptoms of deeper problems insociety; such as pervasive poverty,ignorance and socio-economic deprivation, widespread malnutrition and foodinsecurity, lack of essential goods for survival such as lack of goodgovernance, lack of access to healthcare and basic health care services amongothers, ” the senior paediatrician further explained.
Identifying some of the roadblocks in Nigeria andthe tropics, Prof. Osaghae’s who was former national president of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, outlinedthem as, disease conditions in the tropics, economic status and disease,worldpopulation and mortality, disparity in mortality rates, reductions in mortalityrates, continuing mortality and accelerated of reduction of mortality.
The former President,Association of Resident Doctors UBTH, Prof. Osaghae therefore recommended thefollowing as solutions, such as; access to health care, provision of manpower,poverty reduction, universal health coverage, sustainable development goals,funding, capacity building, sickle cell control programme, advocacy,collaboration and research, childsurvival strategies and integration of indigenous resources.
In his remarks, Vice-Chancellor lgbinedionuniversity, Okada, Prof. Lawrence Ikechuckwu
Ezemonye, said because of the constantresearch the institution had embarked on that it has grow and advance toexcellence centre, particularly in the area of ICT. He thanked the guest lecturer and everybody that grace theinaugural lecture.
Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye said this is the firstinaugural lecture organized by the university, since his assumption as vicechancellor. The lecture was attended by various professors and personalitiesboth in the state and outside the state.