The Federal Government (FG) on Friday, launched the 2019 Verbal and Social Autopsy Study(VASA), conducted by the National Population Commission (NPopC) in partnership with Ministry of Health and other international agencies.
It said the newly launched report is a vital tool in the critical initiative to improve the health of infants, children and maternal health.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire who officially launched the report in Abuja, explained that the study provides up-to-date health and social indicators on under-five deaths in Nigeria and the distribution along geopolitical zones and individual States.
According to him, the study, conducted in partnership with his Ministry, USAID and other agencies, indicated key areas of maternal healthcare comprising women aged 15 – 49, Child Health, Nutrition and Child Mortality.
“Data generated in the survey will provide the information needed to identify key deficits and channel resources to address developmental needs, as well as monitor and evaluate progress towards meeting the goals of our Universal Health coverage agenda and of the Sustainable Development Goal 3, with regards to maternal and child health,” he said.
Earlier, NpopC Chairman, Alh. Nasir Kwarra explained that the survey seeks to ascertain the causes and determinants of under-5 mortality in Nigeria between 2013 to 2018.
He noted that the first survey was conducted in 2014 while the Commission had in 2018 conducted the 2028 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey(NDHS) in randomly selected households across the country.
Kwarra noted that the newly launched report was a follow up to the 2018 NDHS from which one randomly selected deaths from a household with an under-5 death from 2013-2018 were sampled.
He added that:” the menace of under-5 mortality cannot be wished away; indeed, there has to be purposeful interventions and programmes from all concerned, to reduce under-five mortality in Nigeria.
“But first, appropriate data on causes and factors that lead to under 5 death is first required to properly implement meaningful programmes and interventions.”
The Chairman noted that the 2019 VASA report would, among other benefits, provide adequate household-based data needed to improve healthcare delivery and children’s access to healthcare facilities in the country.
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