57th AGM : Paediatric association urges stakeholders to prioritise child health
The Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on governments, development partners, the private sector and health workers to prioritise child health.
The President of PAN, Dr Ekanem Ekure, made the call at a news conference on Monday in Abeokuta ahead of the association’s 57th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference coming up on Wednesday.
Ekure stated that the future of Nigeria remained inseparable from the health and wellbeing of its children.
She said that the conference theme, “Achieving SDG-3 and Child Health Care Through Innovative Funding Models and Technology-Driven Solutions,” was aimed at addressing Nigeria’s child health challenges.
According to her, Nigeria continues to bear a high burden of preventable neonatal and under-five deaths, malnutrition, vaccine-preventable diseases and inequitable access to quality child health services.
Ekure further said that the conference would focus on sustainable child health financing and digital tools in paediatric practice, local vaccine production, and the role of the media in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3).
She expressed concern that Nigeria remained off-track in meeting SDG-3 targets related to newborn and child survival, in spite of global knowledge on preventing and treating major childhood illnesses.
The PAN president identified daily newborn deaths, malaria, pneumonia, measles, diphtheria, malnutrition, low immunisation coverage, poor access to water and sanitation as major threats to child survival.
She also raised concerns over insecurity, child abuse, displacement, loss of schooling and widening inequality between urban and rural children in access to healthcare and protection.
Ekure said inadequate, non-transparent and unsustainable public investment in child-focused programmes remained a major barrier to improved child health outcomes.
She advocated increased government spending on child health, complemented by innovative funding models such as public-private partnerships, blended financing and performance-based funding.
” PAN believes that while increased government spending is nonnegotiable, it must be complemented by innovative funding models, including public-private partnerships that protect equity and quality.
“Technology has become central to effective child healthcare delivery, particularly in immunisation tracking, disease surveillance, telemedicine, research and data-driven planning,” she said.
According to Ekure, hosting the conference in Ogun state was significant, given local child health concerns such as environmental risks, urbanisation-related challenges and adolescent health issues.
She said that PAN had in the past two years strengthened its governance, partnerships, research visibility and advocacy, stressing that paediatricians must also serve as advocates and voices for children.
Ekure said that the conference tagged “PANConf Gateway 2026” would hold in Abeokuta from Wednesday to Friday.
She said that the meeting would bring together paediatricians, health workers, policymakers, researchers, development partners, media professionals and technology innovators to deliberate on key child health issues.
