One of the tasks that await the incoming administration is the urgent need to improve the country’s life expectancy of Nigerians. This expectation is based on latest findings that show that currently, Nigerians are not living optimally due to preventable natural and man-made causes.
According to a CIA world report as at August 2014, Life expectancy at birth of the total population of the country was put at 52.62 years. The report showed that female live longer than the male with 53.66 years and male 51.63 years.
Also, a report World Life Expectancy showed that in 1960 Nigerians rose from 38.7 to 53.2 in 2011.
Nigeria was also ranked 153 in 1960 to 179. Despite the rise in life expectancy in 2011 and 2014, another report the World Health Organisation, WHO has indicated that life expectancy in Nigeria and a few other countries in Africa have remained stagnant despite the continued increase around the world.
The World Body report had lamented in their report that life expectancy for both men and women is still less than 55 years in nine sub-Saharan African countries – Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.”
However, critical observers are of the opinion that the increasing deaths from non communicable diseases should be a source of worry for the incoming government of Nigeria. There worries were however confirmed by another report which clearly listed top 20 causes of deaths in the country.
The report by World Life Expectancy with recent data from primary sources such as WHO, World Bank, UNESCO, CIA and individual country databases for global health in 2011 listed the diseases to include;
Influenza and pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, stroke, coronary heart disease, diarrhea diseases, Tuberculosis, malaria, diabetes mellitus, lung disease, hypertension, kidney disease, breast Cancer, birth trauma, low birth weight, road traffic accidents, endocrine disorders, asthma, violence, inflammatory/heart, and cervical cancer.
According to the report, Influenza and Pneumonia deaths in Nigeria reached 213,099 or 12.49 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted death Rate is 173.78 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 18 in the world. For HIV/AIDS, deaths in Nigeria reached 213,667 or 12.52 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 170.23 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 18 in the world.
The report also stated that stroke deaths in Nigeria reached 87,717 or 5.14 percent of the total deaths in 2011. The age adjusted death rate from stroke was put at 148.61 per 100,000 of population and ranks Nigeria 32 in the world. On diarrhoeal diseases deaths in Nigeria reached 173,878 or 10.19 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted death rate is 101.48 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 19 in the world.
Malaria: Deaths from malaria which has remained a problem in the country reached 219,833 or 12.88 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted death rate is 79.28 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 11 in the world “Diabetes Mellitus Deaths in Nigeria reached 34,528 or 2.02 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 55.40 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 47 in the world.
According to the latest WHO data published in April 2011 Lung Disease Deaths in Nigeria reached 25,241 or 1.48 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 41.90 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 42 in the world The report also revealed that kidney disease deaths in Nigeria reached 16,892 or 0.99 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 25.01 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 51 in the world.
According to the latest WHO data published in April 2011 Birth Trauma Deaths in Nigeria reached 68,213 or 4.00 percent of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 23.99 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 9 in the world. According to the latest WHO data published in April 2011 Low Birth Weight Deaths in Nigeria reached 67,212 or 3.94 percent of total deaths.
The age adjusted Death Rate is 23.64 per 100,000 of population ranks Nigeria 22 in the world. The report also showed that road traffic accidents deaths in Nigeria reached 24,850 or 1.46
No comments:
Post a Comment