By Christopher Negedu
National Population Commission (NPC) has launched Twenty-Four Nigeria Verbal and Social Autopsy Study (VASA), a crucial survey designed to provide insights into the causes of under-five age and maternal deaths across communities.
The Federal Commissioner of the NPC, in Kogi State, Engineer Yori Afolabi made this known during Press Conference on the Twenty Twenty-four Nigeria Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) Study in Lokoja.
The National Population Commission in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health is implementing Verbal and Social Autopsy Study, a Nationwide study aimed at building on the previous efforts in 2014 and 2019, which provided valuable information that helped shape health policies and intervention aimed at reducing preventable deaths in the country.
The initiative will help to collect essential data on both maternal and child mortality, focusing on th social and health-related factors that contribute to the losses, as the information will empowered decision makers to address the underlying issues that lead to the deaths, aimed at improving maternal and child health in the state and Nigeria at large.
Speaking Federal Commissioner of the NPC, Engineer Yori Afolabi said the study is a follow up to the Twenty Twenty-Three/Twenty Twenty-Four Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey that was concluded in may this year, saying the important health initiative will have a lasting impact on well-being of mothers and children across Kogi State and the entire nation.
Engineer Afolabi noted that the NPC agents will be going back to Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey households to ask for information that will help the Government understand and plan to address the biomedical and social causes of death of children under age five and women of reproductive age.
“In Kogi State, we have benefited from the strong collaboration between the NPC, Fed. Ministry of Health, Kogi State Government and our value state partners to successfully implement health-related projects in the past, and we are confident that this collaboration will once again ensure success for the VASA study. This study will collect essential data on both maternal and child mortality, focusing on the social and health-related factors that contribute to these tragic bosses. This information will empower decision makers to address the underlying issues that lead to these deaths and will ultimately inform policies aimed at improving maternal and child health in the state and beyond”. He said.
According to him, fieldwork in this study will be conducted in sixty-seven communities across thirteen Local Government Areas of the Kogi State between seventeenth of November and seventeen of December this year, sayiing data collectors will visit households to conduct interviews with family members, gathering information that will help the Government understand circumstances surrounding maternal and child deaths.
The Federal Commissioner appealed to traditional and community leaders to lend their voices in support of the initiative by encouraging their communities to welcome the interviewers and participate fully in the process to ensure a smooth conduct of the exercise.
“We recognize the vital role that traditional and community leaders play in mobilizing community support and facilitating the smooth conduct of activities like the VASA study. We call on our revered leaders to lend their voices in support of this study, encouraging their communities to welcome the interviewers and participate fully in the process. The role of press is invaluable in ensuring that this study is well received and that the information gathered reflects the experiences and challenges within our communities”.
“Additionally, we urged the public to cooperate with our interviewers. They will be visiting some selected communities to gather and document their experiences with the utmost respect and confidentiality. By so doing, the respondents will be contributing directly to a project aimed at preventing unnecessary losses in our communities and securing a healthier future for our families. The collaboration and support of every residents of our dear state is crucial for the VASA study. We ask that they receive our data collectors with understanding and kindness, and actively participate by sharing with the VASA Team important details that will help us address the issues of maternal and child deaths “. Afolabi noted.
He thanked the Kogi State Government and partners for their unwavering supports and commitment towards the success of the study, and called on the public to cooperate with the interviewers, as they will be contributing directly to the project aimed at preventing unnecessary losses in their communities and securing a healthier future for their families.
In his remark, Kogi State Commissioner of Health, Doctor Abdulazeez Adams, represented by the Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Mrs Dorathy Onoja promised to collaborate with the NPC to ensure a successful implementation of health-related projects in the state.
Earlier, the State Director of the Nation Population Commission, Mr Abiodun Ojo-Titus said the Commission is not only saddle with the responsibility of conducting census but it is part of its statuary responsibilities to carry out survey on either health, education, security among others at regular interval.
