Abuja — Infant mortality rate in Nigeria has been described as unacceptably high.

Executive Director of UNICEF, Ann Veneman, made this assertion at a ministerial press briefing on the 2009 World Breastfeeding/Child Health week held in Abuja over the weekend.

Veneman who is on a working visit to the country, decried a situation where children die as a result of preventable diseases. She called on government at all levels to show the required political will by providing healthcare with an integrated approach.

The UNICEF executive director who is scheduled to launch the first ever bi-annual child health week, commended Nigeria for localising the event.

She disclosed that countries such as South Africa and Mozambique where the week is observed have experienced improved indices in child and maternal survival.

She, however, warned that with diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and polio ravaging families, Nigeria may not meet the 2015 target for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

She stated that Nigeria is the only African country recording incidents of polio.

Veneman said the country needs all the encouragement it could get in tackling the issues confronting healthcare delivery.

According to her, UNICEF would be spending an additional U.S.$5 million on enlightenment programmes on the danger of polio.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Babatunde Osotimehin, while briefing the press, asked for support for government as it moves to create better access to healthcare.

He said the health indices recorded in the country have witnessed a decrease in deaths and disease burden.

He told journalists that aside from ongoing efforts by government to reduce cases of childhood diseases, the Federal Government is working on a health bill which if accented to, would yield N600 billion from the consolidated revenue account for the financing of primary healthcare.

The minister noted on the issue of malaria, that Nigeria would be receiving an estimated $600 million from the Global Fund and the World Bank in the next three years to fund its programmes.

He said the monies already received have been used judiciously, adding that the Federal Government has set a 2010 target to distribute two treated mosquito nets per family.