PurposeHealth improves the proficiency and output generated by individuals. It also raises physical as well as mental abilities, which are required for the growth and advancement of any economy. Many infant diseases have been recognised via contemporary technology in a bid to tackle these diseases. However, children within the African continent (Including Nigeria) die en masse from diseases. This has made the government of Nigeria allocate sizeable part of the nation's budget to healthcare system. The allocation to health is, however, yet to translate to improved health condition for Nigerians. It does not measure up to the World Health Organization's (WHO) standards for apportioning budget to the health sector. This study also analyses empirically the impact of healthcare expenses on the mortality level of infants as well as Nigeria's neonatal mortality level.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on Nigeria. Vector auto regression model techniques, unit root tests and cointegration test were carried out using time series date for the period between 1986 and 2016.FindingsThe outcome has revealed that expenditure on healthcare possesses a negative correlation with the mortality of infants and neonates. The study discovers that if the Nigerian government raises and maintains health expenditure specifically on activities focused on minimising infant mortality, it will translate to reduction in infant mortality in Nigeria.Originality/valueThis paper has contributed exhaustively to solution to poor expenditure on healthcare, especially child mortality, in Nigeria.

Background Paediatric day case surgeries (DCSs) are associated with minimal complications therefore the post‐operative follow‐up visit usually serves to calm anxious parents and is replaceable with a phone call. This study examines the safety and reliability of post‐operative telephone assessment by caregivers and its acceptability to them. Methods Parents of DCS patients over a 9‐month period were recruited for telephone follow‐up on third post‐operative day for wound assessment. The remote reports were compared with the finding during the in‐person visit on fourth post‐operative day to determine the reliability of parents’ observation. The parents’ acceptance of telephone follow‐up was also studied. Results The parents of 112 children who had groin surgeries (84%), repair of umbilical hernias (4.5%) and excision of soft tissue masses (11.6%) were recruited. The M:F ratio was 10.2:1. The median age at surgery was 64 months (IQR 43.0–96.8) and median waiting time for surgery was 11.5 months (IQR 3.0–28.8). Most caregivers were mothers (83%) and had a minimum of secondary education (86.6%). The telephone and clinic assessments were matched in 98 of 101 assessed patients. Telephone follow‐up would have sufficed for 104 (92.9%) patients and correctly identified those who needed clinic visits. Majority of parents found telephone follow‐up acceptable in lieu of clinic visit but some preferred to be given a phone number to initiate the call if necessary. Conclusion Telephone call is safe, feasible and acceptable for follow‐up after paediatric DCS. A guided parents’ assessment of the wound is reliable for determining those who need hospital visit.