A Consultant Paediatrician, Dr Alexandra Anga, says neonatal resuscitation is a cost-effective intervention in reducing newborn deaths but lacks adequate manpower to handle it.
Anga said on Thursday in Lagos that newborn death rate in Nigeria still remained high, and required urgent training of more health workers.
She spoke at a training on neonatal resuscitation organised by the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos Zone for doctors and nurses.
Anga who is also the Director of PAN Lagos Zone said doctors and nurses involved in newborn care should be trained regularly on neonatal resuscitation.
The paediatrician said that challenges facing newborn care in the country included ignorance, poverty, inadequate skilled birth attendants, and malnutrition.
According to her, tackling the challenges will require committment from the government as well as maternal education through sensitisation programmes.
The expert noted that there had been help from international agencies toward newborn care in Nigeria.
She added that there were government policies and programmes including immunisation to improve newborn care and reduce deaths.
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