NPC begins health surveys in Cross River

National Population Commission (NPC) has selected 16 councils in Cross River State for the conduct of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

The state Director of the Commission, Mr Itam Stanley, who disclosed this to journalists in Calabar, said 35 clusters had been selected to be covered in the council areas, within which a total of 1,575 households will be interviewed across selected clusters.

He said the exercise, which started in Calabar South Council last year in selected clusters, is expected to end in April 2024.

The state director said that the NDHS,  which is  in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and other key partners, is a national survey designed to provide data for monitoring the population and health situation in Nigeria, adding that it has developed from a survey to a more reliable demographic and health system for the country.

In Ekiti State, the commission disclosed, yesterday that it had commenced another round of demographic and health survey.

The NPC also disclosed that it had concluded plans to ensure full automation of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CVRS) in the first quarter of the year 2024.

The survey, according to the commission, commenced December 4, 2023 and will last till May 4, 2024 across the 16 councils of the state.

The Ekiti State Director NPC, Mr Richard Adebola, spoke, yesterday, in Ado-Ekiti during an interactive session with the journalists in the state.

Highlighting the objectives of the programme, the Ekiti NPC boss explained that it is aimed at collecting high quality data on fertility levels and references, contraceptive use, maternal and child health, childhood immunisation, breastfeeding and child-feeding practices, women’s dietary diversity and violence against women, among others.

By Ayodele Afolabi (Ado-Ekiti) and Solomon Azu (Calabar) 

https://guardian.ng/news/npc-begins-health-surveys-in-cross-river-ekiti/