The Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) held a press conference ahead of its 55th annual conference to sound the alarm on threats facing child health and welfare in the country.
Speaking at the Eko Akete conference themed “Beyond Strategies and Goals: Reaching Every Child in Nigeria with Optimal Care,” PAN President Dr. Olufemi Ogunrinde worried over the fact that only 31 out of 36 Nigerian states have implemented the critical Child’s Rights Act of 2003 to safeguard children.
“We urge the remaining states to swiftly adopt this legislation and dedicate resources to enforce its child wellbeing provisions,” Dr. Ogunrinde stated.
The conference also highlighted the nation’s medical brain drain crisis, critically impacting paediatric units through debilitating staff shortages and overwhelming remaining personnel.
“Our leaders must confront this emergency before we reach the breaking point of no return,” Dr. Ogunrinde warned.
Additionally, the association sounded the alarm on low childhood vaccination rates. Currently, 6.2 million children have missed routine immunisations, fueling repeated disease outbreaks.
PAN called for pushing catch-up drives, public awareness campaigns to counter misinformation and coordinated vaccination efforts with community leaders and influencers to reach every child.