Punch reports that the National Population Commission, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, has commenced data collection for the 2024 Nigeria Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) study across Kwara and Kogi states.

According to State Director, Mr Adepoju Emmanuel, this VASA study is conducted every five years to support Nigeria's efforts to reduce maternal mortality rates and child mortality for children under five nationwide.

According to Adepoju, “the 2014 data showed that Nigeria recorded 157 deaths in every 1,000 births while the figure reduced to 132 deaths in every 1,000 births in 2019 data recorded in the National Population Commission documents.”

Speaking at the event in Ilorin, Kwara State capital on Thursday, the Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission in Kwara State, Alhaji Razak Gidado observed that Nigeria continues to face the challenges of maternal and child health, adding that despite the progress that the country has made, preventable causes still claim the lives of our women and children.

Gidado who noted that the data collection is necessary to build on the past studies stressed, “The National Population Commission is conducting the study in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health with technical support from donor agencies such as the international Children Fund (ICF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID.)”

Thus, he charged the field workers to do the work diligently so that the data collected would be useful for the purpose of reducing maternal and child mortality in the state and the country.

“Over the coming days, you will be visiting households, engaging with families and gathering sensitive information that will form the backbone of our analysis. The data you collect will provide a clearer understanding of the causes of maternal and child deaths and will be used to implement policies that will save lives and improve healthcare delivery in Kwara and Nigeria at large.

“I urge you to approach this task with humility, professionalism, empathy and precision. Your work must be guided by accuracy, integrity and confidentiality. Your efforts will help prevent further loss of lives,” he stated.

Also speaking at the event, the coordinator in charge of Kwara and Kogi states, Mrs Titi Ahmed said that the data collection from about 38 households in the 13 local government areas of Kwara State would be done in 20 days.

She explained that samples would be taken from deaths recorded from pregnancy and children related cases, adding that such children would be those between 0 and 59 months of age.