Rural Mothers, Media and the Millennium Development Goals: Post Mortem on Child Mortality Awareness Campaign

The United Nations developed eight "Millennium Development Goals" in the year 2000 in an attempt to improve the lives of the poorest people around the world. Goal 4 reads: “Reduce Child Mortality.” Target 5 relating to the goal was to reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate. Thus deadline was set for 2015 for attainment. According to a UN appraisal report, in sub-Saharan Africa, the annual rate of reduction of under-five mortality was over five times faster during 2005–2013 than it was during 1990–1995 (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2015). Related to meeting this goal in Nigeria, efforts have been made to create awareness of childhood diseases. Ultimately, the exercise was expected to help eliminate the scourge. From field experience, the strategy has taken a mixed media approach. In 2015, it becomes proper to evaluate the journey to the attainment of this set goal. Thus, in view of the need to benefit from this situation, it became necessary to conduct an analysis on the communication journey so far. This survey focuses on goal 4 of the MDs and supplies that both radio and interpersonal channels were effective in awareness creation. Nevertheless, awareness creation came more through traditional channels such as churches, associations and interpersonal relationships.