President Muhammadu Buhari

…As survey finds 9% of women, 10% of men with one domain of disability

By Chris Ochayi

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday directed Health Ministry and other relevant agencies to formulate policies and programmes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, for wellbeing of Nigerians.

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President Buhari, who gave the directive when he launched the final report of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS, in Abuja, described report as panacea to many health issues given its comprehensive and wide coverage.

The purpose of the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS, report developed by the National Population Commission, NPC, and the Federal Ministry of Health was to provide up-to-date demographic and health indicators for Nigeria, its geopolitical zones and individual States.

Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire further charged ministry and other health institutions to make good use of the findings in policy formulation and alignment of strategies and interventions in health sector.

According to him, “The final report of the 2018 NDHS is therefore, particularly, comprehensive and will provide all time data for planning programmes and for policy formulation and reformulation that can be used to adjust our approach and making fast health care delivery and human capital development index towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, for wellbeing of Nigerians.”

He said Nigeria piloted genotype testing of children ages 6-59 months for sickle sell disease for the first in a Demographic Health Survey, DHS, anywhere in the world.

Speaking earlier, the Acting Chairman of National Population Commission, NPC, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin disclosed that the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS, was the sixth Demographic Health Survey, DHS, conducted in Nigeria since 1990.

The survey she said provides up-to-date estimates on basic demographic and health indicators in the entire country.

According to her, “Towards accomplishing this survey report, the National Population Commission worked in close collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme, NMEP, under the Federal Ministry of Health across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

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“A total of 41,821 women age 15-49 in 40,427 households and 13,311 men age 15-59 in one third of the sampled households were interviewed, representing a response rate of 99% of women and 99% of men.

“I am pleased to say that new, innovative approaches were used in the conduct of the 2018 NDHS. First, the anthropometry processes was improved to collect high quality height and weight measurements from children and women.

“Anew biomarker checklist was introduced to ensure that no important tasks were missed. Interviewers also returned to households to re-measure children for flagged cases and random re-measurement for data quality checks.

“I am pleased to inform you that these new improved processes piloted here in Nigeria, have been adopted as standard procedures in DHS surveys by other nations especially in Africa.”

Salu-Hundeyin added that “Another innovation was the inclusion of the DHS Program’s disability module in the 2018 NDHS. This allowed the Commission to collect information on disability status of Nigerians for the first time.

“The result of the survey shows a number of significant outcomes:2% of women and 2% of men ages 15 and above have difficulty or cannot function in at least one domain of disability such as seeing, hearing, communicating, remembering or concentrating, walking or climbing steps, and washing all over the body or dressing up, 9% of women; and 10% of men have some difficulty in at least one domain.

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“The data on disability will be of significance to the Social Development Statistics in planning for the wellbeing of persons living with disabilities in the country.

“Nigeria piloted genotype testing of children ages 6-59 months for sickle cell disease for the first time in a DHS survey anywhere in the world. Genotype testing was carried out in a sub sample of more than 11,000 children.(v)20% of children have the sickle cell trait. (vi)

“The overall prevalence of sickle cell disease in Nigerian children age 6-59 months is 1.3%.(vii) The prevalence of sickle cell disease is above 2.0% in six states: Oyo (2.8%), Lagos (2.7%), Osun (2.6%), Kano, (2.4%), Kogi (2.4%), and Taraba (2.2%). These outcomes are not limited to two areas stated above.”

She said the practical value of the information contained in the 2018 Nigeria DHS report is enormous and we have collectively worked very hard to generate and present it to Nigerians today.

The Ag. Chairman commended the contributions of the development partners to this success story. On behalf of the National Population Commission, I welcome and thank USAID, Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, Global funds, UNFPA and the World Health Organization.

On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha said the thematic areas of coverage of the study was in line with the present administration’s determination provide healthcare  for the citizenry.

He said, “The thematic areas of coverage of the study are in line with the vision of His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, aimed at improving health care and lifting 100 million people out of poverty in the next 10 years and deploying the population of the country as asset for development.”

Represented by Dr. Tunde Lawal, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Mr. Boss added that “The Government is also committed to promoting health and well-being of all Nigerians.

“It is in fulfillment of this that the President recently rolled out the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to revive the health sector. The 2018 NDHS report is, therefore, a vital tool in this critical effort.

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“To underscore the emphasis placed on health care the Universal Health Care Programme was launched and 1% of the annual capital budgetary allocation earmarked for its sustainability. The health sector also ranks high in the nine priority areas of the current Administration.

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