The National Population Commission has begun another round of demographic and health surveys in Ekiti state ahead of the population census.
The Ekiti State Director of the National Population Commission, Richard Adebola, made this disclosure on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti during an event organized by the Federal Commissioner, representing Ekiti State at the NPC, Ayodeji Ajayi, for journalists and other media executives in the state.
The Commission noted that the programme which commenced in December 2023 will last till the 4th of May, 2024 across the 16 Local Government Areas in the state.
Commenting on the objectives of the programme, Adebola stated that it is aimed at collecting high-quality data on fertility levels, references, and contraceptive use.
He went further that the programme would also determine maternal and child health, childhood immunisation, breastfeeding, child feeding practices, women’s dietary diversity as well as violence against women among others.
The state Director of NPC pointed out other objectives of the programme are to access factors that impact maternal health including antenatal delivery care and treatment of pregnancy-related conditions.
He said, “Accessing the nutritional status of women between the age of (15-49) and children under age five through anthropometric measures and conducting blood testing on women between the ages of 15-49 years and children of ages 6-59 months among others.”
Adebola stressed that the commission had equally made necessary arrangements to ensure full automation of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the first quarter of the year 2024.
On the support of the media to the commission, he enjoined the relevant stakeholders including traditional rulers to partner with NPC towards conducting first digital population census for the country.
Earlier, Ajayi said the event was put together to commend the support of the media to the commission in the last few years with accurate and positive reportage of their activities and the staff for their commitment to duty in 2023.
