In fulfilment of its constitutional mandate to provide demographic data for planning purposes, the National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and other government agencies has commenced 2019 VASA Survey to assist policymakers plan and formulate policies for the health sector in relation to maternal and child healthcare in Nigeria.
A Federal Commissioner in National Population Commission, Dr. Ipalibo .M. Harry, who made this known on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, in Port-Harcourt said that the Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) Survey is a research study that seeks to obtain accurate data for deaths of children aged 0-5 years.
According to him, the essence of the study includes the provision of up-to-date information on early childhood mortality rate, estimation of prevalence, determination of cultural, behavioural, social and health system factors of neonatal, infant and under 5 mortality using the 2018 NDHS households, saying the 2019 VASA is the second to be conducted in Nigeria as the first took place in 2014.
Dr. Harry further said that the survey would among others provide national and zonal level estimates of major causes of under-five mortality in the country between the period of 2013 and 2018.
He said it will also make available national and zonal patterns of care-seeking, social factors and interventions received in relation to deaths of young children under 5 years of age, along with qualitative narratives of factors associated with these patterns.
He pointed out that the most common causes of neonatal deaths in the country include preterm birth, birth asphyxia, severe infections such as septicemia, pneumonia and meningitis amongst others.
Dr. Harry said that in order to achieve 2019 VASA Survey, they have two sets of interviewing teams on the field saying that a quantitative team would focus on responses from caregivers in the households while a qualitative team would focus on group discussions and in-depth interview within the community in addition to household interviews.
He said that the prevalence of under-five mortality in Nigeria was comparatively high saying that every available tool must be used to combat and curb the menace in the country, adding that the National Population Commission was committed in generating reliable data for sustainable development.
Dr. Harry stressed that the data generated by the survey would be used by policymakers and other stakeholders to design programmes that would go a long way in reducing neonatal and child mortality to barest minimum in the country.
He called on government officials, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, youths and women groups to cooperate with National Population Commission and give all necessary support to interviewing teams throughout the duration of the survey in Rivers State.
