The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has emphasised the importance of ensuring that hospitals, particularly Primary Healthcare Centers, have oxygen readily available for newborns who may need it.

The UNICEF Health Manager for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (MNCAH) and HIV, Martin Dohlsten, made the call in an interview with the newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

According to him, 30 per cent of infant mortality in Nigeria is caused by delivery problems, with 50 per cent of these deaths occurring on the first day and 75 per cent within the first week.

He also highlighted that neonatal deaths, which made up 32 per cent of under-five mortality, were largely caused by birth asphyxia, prematurity, and infections, conditions that were preventable with proper care.

Dohlsten explained that asphyxiated newborns often required oxygen to survive, as their lungs might be underdeveloped.

He stressed the importance of having oxygen readily available in hospitals and that it should be administered in a controlled, regulated manner to avoid harming the baby.

He further noted that Nigeria ranked second in under-five mortality, and to meet the SDG 3.2 target by 2030, the country must accelerate efforts to reduce mortality rates.