Protect Children From Child Abuse, Ensure Punishment Of Offenders -PAN

The Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on all stakeholders in the country, including family, community, non-governmental organisations, professional bodies and the government to play more decisive roles to ensure the protection of children from child abuse and the punishment of offenders.
Paediatricians are doctors who specialise in the management of health conditions affecting infants, children and young people.
This is as the group expressed concern that eight out of 10 Nigerian children suffer physical, emotional, or  sexual abuse before the age of 18 years.
The doctors’ position was contained in a communique issued at the end of the 52nd/53rd Scientific Conference and 53rd Annual General Meeting of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and made available to The Tide.
The communique jointly signed by PAN President Dr. Olufemi Ogunrinde, and the Secretary, Dr. Maria Garba, also noted that child abuse has serious consequences in the immediate and long term for the child, family, and the nation and interacts to undermine national security by fuelling banditry, kidnapping and religious intolerance.
It also stated that children are more likely to be abused in settings where there is power imbalance, faulty child abuse reporting system, lack of political will to domesticate the Child Rights Act, fund child protective services and punish offenders.
“Adolescence is a vulnerable period physically and psychologically, with heightened risk for mental illnesses including depression, suicide, and drug use disorders.
“Adequate technology and skilled manpower for care of small and sick newborns are lacking and impeding progress towards reduction of newborn deaths in Nigeria,” PAN also said.
It also stated that pneumonia is a leading cause of under-five mortality globally and in Nigeria, with most deaths occurring at home especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the infection is a hidden killer of children with no strong advocate unlike COVID-19.
The body therefore called for a nation-wide study designed and conducted to enhance better understanding of the burden of child abuse in Nigeria.
It also urged the government to strengthen the reporting system for cases of child abuse, adding that Child Rights Act should be domesticated in states of the federation where it is yet to be domesticated, saying in states where the Act has been domesticated, it should ensure the full implementation.
“The conference recommends that the reporting of child abuse should be mandatory by law, and the process protected to secure the identities of the victim and the reporter and ensure the successful prosecution of the assailant,” it said, adding that Government at all levels should prioritise the provision of low-cost, effective, and durable technologies for the care of small and sick newborn; no effort should be spared in recruiting, training, and retaining a skilled workforce for newborn care.
It also called for the strengthening of the collaboration between PAN, Government and Developmental partners such as UNICEF and Save the Children to drive and sustain efforts to curb the high rate of preventable child deaths from pneumonia in Nigeria.

By: Ernest Chinwo