The Federal Ministry of Health has expressed concern over the rising cases of neonatal (newborn) deaths in Delta State.
It therefore called for urgent steps by the state government to reverse the ugly trend.
Coordinator, Health Promotion Division, Family Health Department of the Federal Ministry of Health, Evelyn Agbanyim, raised the concern when her team visited Delta State to create awareness on the use of neonatal commodities to prevent new born babies from dying unnecessarily.
She described neonatal death as one which occurs within few weeks or months after a child has been successfully delivered.
Agbanyim, however, attributed such deaths to negligence on the part of parents who, according to her, most times, fail to apply the right medication on or before a child is born.
She said that her team was in the state to meet and share ideas with various groups and stakeholders to ensure that neonatal mortality was drastically reduced.
According to her, the report her team received from the Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency revealed that no fewer than 220 neonatal deaths were recorded in Oshimili South Local Government Area alone in 2014.
This, according to her, was alarming, noting that if that figure could be obtained in only one local government area, it therefore means that the situation needs urgent attention.
She explained that neonatal deaths were preventable if the right medications were applied to the mother and the new born.
Agbanyim said though the case of neonatal death has remained high in the country, efforts being made to check the trend in the last ten years were slow due to skills gap, poor referral network, the activities of traditional birth attendants and traditional beliefs, among others.
“The neonatal commodities are four; the Antenatal Corticosteroids is giving to pregnant woman at risk of delivering prematurely aimed at strengthening the lungs of the premature baby. Four per cent Chlorhexiden Gel is used for umbilical cord care within two hours of the child delivery to prevent contamination by germ until the cord cuts off.
“We also have the injectable antibiotics aimed at preventing neonatal deaths and the last is the resuscitation devices to check asphyxia (difficulties in breathing) in newly born babies”, she further explained.
The health ministry official further noted that the only way to achieve success in reducing neonatal deaths 
was for all stakeholders to partner and ensure that there was adequate funding and effective application of the lifesaving commodities for women and children.
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