The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced Nigeria Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) to provide insights into the causes of under – five and maternal deaths in the 67 communities in thirteen local governments in kogi state.
The Federal commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC) in the state Engineer Yori Afolabi disclosed this at a press conference in Lokoja on Monday.
He said the exercise that will last for a period of one month is an important health initiative that will have a lasting impact on the well-being of mothers and children across the state and the entire nation.
He said the NPC ,in collaboration with the federal ministry of health (FMOH) is implementing the national wide study in an attempt to build on the previous efforts in 2014 and 2019 in order to provide valuable information that will help shape health policies and interventions to reduce preventable deaths.
“The study is a follow up to the 2023 – 2024 Nigeria Demographic and health survey that was concluded this year .we will be going back to the NDHS households to ask for information that will help the government understand and plan to address the biomedical and social causes of death of children and under age 5 and women of reproductive age .
“The study will collect essential data on both maternal and child mortality ,focusing on the social and health related factors that contribute to these traffic losses.
“Field work for the study will be conducted in sixty -seven (67) selected communities throughout kogi state between 17th November to 17th December 2024.
” Our trained data collectors will visit households to conduct interviews with family members ,gathering information that will help us understand the circumstances surrounding maternal and child deaths”, he said.
The NPC federal commissioner therefore urged tradditional rulers , community leaders and members of the public to cooperate with the field officers for smooth conduct of the exercise.
The state commissioner of health who was represented by the Public Relations Officer, Mrs Dorathy Onoja pledged their unalloyed cooperation to ensure the exercise become a success in the state .
Earlier, the Director of the agency in the state , Mr Ojo Abiodun Titus VASA said the awareness is a global survey exercise being carried out at different time by different countries in the world to establish ravaging issues in a given community and measure out its solution.
He said among the VASA’s focus issues include , child mortality, maternal deaths, domestic violence, insecurity and genital mutilation, tobacco consumption.
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