The National Population Commission (NPC) has appealed to members of different communities selected for the 8th edition of the National Demographic Health Survey in Abia State to cooperate with its data collectors by providing answers to all needed questions.
The Abia State Director of NPC, Juliana Ada Ezebuiro made the call at the NPC office in Umuahia during a press conference to sensitize Abia residents on the relevance of the Demographic and Health Survey for 2023-2024.
She noted that the survey, which is used to gather the demographic and health data of the people, is analyzed and then sent to the Federal government and other key partners, for quality healthcare policies and implementation.
She noted that the impact of the survey which would be held in 16 out of the 17 LGAs of the state would be felt in every LGA.
Ezebuiro begged Abia residents, especially those in rural areas to provide the needed information to NPC data collectors, saying that the program is designed for their good.
Earlier in his address, a South East Coordinator of NDHS, Mr Cyril Obike said the survey which would be held in 30 households in each selected cluster in Abia State, would be carried out by well-trained personnel from NPC and the Federal Ministry of Health.
Obike said the data on maternal and child mortality, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, primary healthcare accessibility etc, would be collected while anemia tests would also be run on women and children.
The South East Coordinator, however, lamented that his office in the past, faced frosty reception from some communities in Abia who didn’t really understand the importance of the Survey.
He also begged community youths and religious leaders to welcome and cooperate with the NPC data collectors, even as he assured them that no woman would be sexually assaulted by the NPC personnel.