News Editor
By David Odama
The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced a survey in 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Nasarawa State to address the persistent under-five and maternal mortality rates in the region.
This initiative, under the 2024 Nigeria Verbal and Social Autopsy Study, is being implemented by the NPC in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health. It seeks to uncover the root causes of deaths among children under five years and women of reproductive age, with a particular focus on rural communities.
The Federal Commissioner for Benue State, overseeing Nasarawa State, Mrs. Patricia Kupchi, made this known during a press briefing in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
Represented by the Nasarawa State Director of NPC, Mrs. Priscilla Jaggu, Mrs. Kupchi explained that the study identified 28 communities across 12 out of the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa State through a systematic random selection process.
She revealed that trained fieldworkers have been deployed to conduct interviews with family members of deceased children and reproductive mothers. The team will also assess the communities’ access to healthcare services.
Speaking at the event, representatives from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the Ministry of Health emphasized the importance of the survey in devising effective strategies to reduce maternal and child mortality.
Mallam Mohammed Uba, from the Ministry of Women Affairs, and Mr. Michael David, from the Ministry of Health, reaffirmed their ministries’ commitment to ensuring the success of the exercise.
The survey marks a critical step towards achieving better health outcomes for vulnerable populations in Nasarawa State
END
Engage more staff into State Waste Management Board, Nasarawa Assembly urges Gov. Sule.
By David Odama
Nasarawa State House of Assembly has called on the State Government to employ more staff into the State Waste Management Board for effective service delivery.
The Chairman House Committee on Housing and Environment, Hon Mohammed Adamu Omadefu made the call when the management of the board appeared before the Committee during its 2024 budget performance defense in Lafia.
Hon. Omadefu (APC-Keana) said that the importance of the board in keeping the environment clean cannot be overemphasized, hence the need for the board to have adequate staff considering the fact that the board lacks staff to efficiently carry out it’s responsibilities.
He said that the committee invited the board in order to assess it budget performance for the year under review.
” We heard of your challenges and we want to assure you of our support to succeed in that regards considering the importance of the board to human and societal development, especially in the area of keeping the environment clean, as clean environment guaranteed healthy living.
” We want to appeal to his Excellency, Gov. Abdullahi Sule for the employment of more staff into the board for effective service delivery” he said.
“Basically as the name of the committee implies, housing and environment, we oversight the ministry of environment and other sections of the ministry of works which is the housing aspect as we have works committee that oversees the affairs of the works ministry “He added.
Hon Omadefu urged the management of the board to continue to be up and doing to keep the state clean.
The lawmaker commended the board for its good budget performance and urged them to do more.
Earlier, the Secretary of the board, Christopher Abari,appreciated the committee for the support the board is enjoying from them and called for its sustenance.
Abari also thanked Gov. Abdullahi Sule for prioritising the activities of the board, assuring of their commitment to take the board to the next level of development.
The board secretary, however, appealed for the employment of staff into the board, adding that majority of the staff of the board are on casual basis.
