The National Population Commission (NPC) says a survey conducted by it found an alarming rate of child mortality in the North, calling for an immediate national action to reduce the alarming rate of under-five deaths in the country.

The commission’s chairman Nasir Kwarra, made the disclosure at the official launch of 2019 Verbal and Social Autopsy Study (VASA), in Abuja on Friday. Verbal and Social Autopsy Study (VASA) is a study on the collation of data on the verbal and social causes of symptoms and deaths of under-five children.

“Under-5 deaths were sampled and it was gathered that the occurrences are seen to be 80 percent in the North,” Mr. Kwarra said.

Mr. Kwarra who said that the commission in fulfilling its constitutional duties while working in collaboration with their partners, collated reliable data on the causes of deaths of under-5 children and urged all to rise in improving the healthcare of the child.

The NPC chairman reiterated his call on all stakeholders to rise against the ugly development and aim at making sure the country’s infants grow into adulthood. He however, commended the ministry of health and other partners for their support, and promised to continue to provide demographic data for national planning.

UN Population Fund Country Representative Uller Mueller who also spoke at the event via her representative Osarenti Andorin said that no study was useful until it is disseminated.

Ms. Mueller said that UNFPA would continue to advocate zero maternal death in Nigeria. She promised to continue to support Nigeria in reducing under-5 deaths.

Nigeria is one of the five countries that account for half of the under-5 deaths, the country has under-five mortality rate of over 100 per 1000 live births, NAN reports.