The National Population Commission (NPC) on Monday commenced the 2024 Verbal and Social Autopsy (VASA) study across the 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Oyo State.
Announcing the commencement of the study at a news conference in Ibadan on Monday, NPC Federal Commissioner, Dr Eyitayo Oyetunji, said it would end on Dec. 15.
According to Oyetunji, the VASA study is meant to collate data on the causes and contributory factors of death in children under five years.
“It will also uncover the reasons for deaths in women of reproductive age.
“The 2024 edition of the VASA study is the third to be conducted by NPC. The first study was conducted in 2014, while the second was in 2019.
“Notably, the aspect of the study on mortality among women of reproductive age is being included for the first time in 2024,” he said.
Oyetunji says NPC is collaborating with other government agencies like the Federal Ministry of Health for the study.
“This is to assist policymakers with reliable data to plan and formulate policies for the health sector in relation to maternal and child health in Nigeria.
“The VASA study is a follow-up to the 2023/2024 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) conducted in households where deaths were recorded and consent received for revisit during the NDHS,” he said.
He said the study would also provide information on cultural, behavioural, social, and health system factors contributing to neonatal, infant and under-five mortalities as well as maternal mortality.
According to him, the result of the VASA study will also provide national and zonal level estimates of the major causes of under-five and maternal mortalities.
He said two sets of interviewing teams would be on the field for the study.
“These are the qualitative and quantitative teams.
“The quantitative team will focus more on responses from caregivers in the households, while the qualitative team will focus on group discussions and in-depth interviews within the community in addition to the household interviews,” he said.
Oyetunji said according to the 2023/2024 NDHS, under-five mortality in Nigeria is high at 110 deaths per 1,000 births.
“In this connection, I wish to commend the Oyo State Government and, indeed, all South-West state governments for their effective health and social service delivery, which has kept under-five and maternal mortalities at relatively low levels,” he said.
NPC Director in Oyo State, Mr Olayide Adebayo, said having clear pictures of social and contextual factors contributing to these mortalities would assist in developing informed healthcare plans.
“Let us work together to ensure the success of this programme, as I believe it will transform our health system and improve the lives of countless individuals in Oyo State and Nigeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, urged the VASA team to do a good job and ensure all grounds were covered.
Ajetunmobi, represented by the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, Dr Gbolahan Abbas, affirmed that VASA would help to develop an adequate plan for the future of healthcare.
“We know some deaths occur outside the hospital; the verbal autopsy will help get some insights into the causes of such deaths. The goal is to eradicate deaths, especially among pregnant women,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the study is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). (NAN).
READ ALSO:
- 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: Call for urgent action in Nigeria
- Kano Assembly rejects Tax Reform Bills before National Assembly
- NSCDC detains 19-yr-old suspected kidnapper in Ilorin
- Police rescue 5 abducted children, nab suspect in A’Ibom
- NSCDC says student dumped by suspected ritualists in its custody
