The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in a recent report averred that most deaths in the country were disease-related. From the diseases identified in the report, HIV/AIDS accounted for much of the deaths. But the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) insists Nigeria is winning the war against HIV/AIDS. WINIFRED OGBEBO reports
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its recent report entitled 'Statistical Report on Women and Men in Nigeria', identified malaria, pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhoea, hepatitis B and measles and some others as among the killer diseases in the country. From the diseases mentioned in the report, HIV/AIDS accounted for the highest proportion of infected females (63.5 percent) as against 36.5 percent reported for males in the referenced period (2010-2013).
It resulted in 59.3 percent of documented female deaths and 40.7 percent male deaths in Nigeria between 2010 and 2013.
Malaria, a second killer disease, according to the report, accounted for 53.4 percent female patients and 46.6 percent male patients within the same period.
In this country, an estimated 300,000 children die of malaria each year. This accounts for over 25 percent of infant mortality (children under the age of one), 30 percent of childhood mortality (children under five), and 11 percent of maternal mortality.
According to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2008, about 50 percent of the population has at least one episode of malaria annually, while children aged less than 5 years have 2 to 4 attacks annually. Malaria is particularly severe among pregnant women and children under 5 years of age due to their relatively lower levels of immunity. Malaria in pregnancy compromises the health of the woman and that of the unborn child. It causes negative pregnancy outcomes like stillbirth, spontaneous abortion etcThe national coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr Nnenna Ezeigwe, said before 2010, the prevalence of malaria in the country used to be more than 50 percent, in fact as high as maybe 75 percent, but from when the Roll Back Malaria initiative started and a lot of resources and commitment went into the fight, there has been a gradual reduction in prevalence.
By 2010, according to her, the prevalence has come way below 50 percent in most parts of the country, "so now you find out that in over 80 percent of the country, the prevalence is actually between 10 and 49 percent and you see that it is coming down. In some places you see that it is 20 percent, 25 and some even 15, so we are on the right track."
On the other hand, HIV/AIDS, since it was recognized in the early 1980s, has been a critical health issue for women and men as the epidemic continues to undermine development efforts worldwide and mostly afflict populations already beset by extreme poverty.
HIV/AIDS has been particularly noted to affect the working population and preventing women and men from making meaningful contributions to development and improvement of families while at the household level, the epidemic increases the burden of care and erodes savings.
"The proportions of those infected with pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhoea with and without water, yellow fever and measles were equally significant accounting for over 45 percent cases in both sexes in the reference period," the report stated.
From the report, the editorial emanating from it concluded that "the prevailing strategy" to win the war against the HIV/AIDS pandemic had not worked.
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