Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The National Population Commission (NPC), on Monday, made a passionate appeal to the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant government agencies to support it in effective fieldwork as this year’s Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey kicks off.
Edo State office of the Commission made the appeal while flagging off the National Demographic Survey, in Benin-City.
The Nigeria Demographic/Health Survey (NDHS) is part of world-wide Demographic and Health Survey programme conducted periodically in countries designed to provide data for monitoring the Population and Health situation.
The Director, Edo State office of NPC, Mr. Isaac Amadasun, who was represented by his deputy and Head of Department, Technical Unit, Mr. Ayo Okheyi, explained that the Demographic Survey is a national sample exercise to provide up-to-date information and reliable estimates of fertility levels and preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods.
Other information estimates include breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of mothers and young children, early childhood mortality and maternal mortality, maternal and child health, knowledge and behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, female genital cutting, fistula and domestic violence.
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The Team leader, Demographic Survey, Obike Cyprian Nwolu and state Coordinator of NDHS, Helen Amakwe, said the field work commenced on 15th of August to end on December 15th, adding that a survey design of complete listing of households has been carried out in each of the 1,400 selected Enumeration Areas.
They said a representative sample of approximately 42,000 households have been selected for the survey while one third of the households is selected for Malaria, Anaemia, and Genotype testing for children, age six to 59 months.
All women age 15 to 49 who are either permanent residents on the selected households or visitors who stay in the house hold the night before the survey, will be eligible to be interviewed.