FG inaugurates population committee

In an effort to ensure accurate population figures in the country, the federal government has inaugurated an Inter-agency National Population Estimate Committee. Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole said the current administration’s agenda is to revitalize 10,000 health centres across the country and ensure that each political ward […]

In an effort to ensure accurate population figures in the country, the federal government has inaugurated an Inter-agency National Population Estimate Committee.
Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole said the current administration’s agenda is to revitalize 10,000 health centres across the country and ensure that each political ward has a functional Primary Health Care Centre, adding that accurate population data is important to drive the exercise.
A statement from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) signed by its spokesman, Saadu Salahu said the minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Amina Bello Shamaki said the dearth of updates and accurate data have been identified as the major challenges to achieving uniform figures across programmes in the country.
He said since the last Population Census in 2006, programmes and projects have been carried out using population estimates based on the predicted growth rates.
The terms of reference of the inaugurated committee include identifying population estimate data sets, parameters for use in health information, harmonizing the different sets into a common set for use by all health planners, and recommend the frequency of update of such data sets and estimates as well as the budgetary implications.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad said accurate population estimate is crucial to determine disease burden, forecast and procurement of vaccines, immunizations plans, disease outbreaks and vaccination of travelers among others.