The Department of Child Health is one of the clinical departments of the School of Medicine established in 1972 as an integral part of the College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City with the objectives of providing instructions and training for medical students and research in various aspects of Child Health.

With the establishment of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the West African Postgraduate Medical College the department through the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City got formal approval in 1977 for the training of  postgraduate doctors in Child Health/Paediatrics and remains one of the best centres for residency training in Nigeria since inception till date.

The philosophy and guarding principles of the department has remained the provision of the highest level of health care to the largest possible number of children both in health and sickness in the context of their total environment including their families and the community. Thus curative, preventive and promotional aspect of health care including health education, nutritional supervision and immunization continue to receive desired attention in the department.

The department currently has the following functional units on the hospital side:

* P. Ward
* P. Ward Extension
* Children Emergency Room (CHER)
* Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)

* Diarrhoea treatment and Training Unit and
* Nutrition Education and Rehabilitation Unit (NERU)

On the University side the units are:

* Undergraduate Training Unit
* Research and publication Unit
* Medical Illustration and
* Information Technology Unit.

Leadership

The department has been particularly endowed with able leadership from inception. The roll call is as follows: