Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi

The National Population Commission (NPC) has revealed that  20 per cent of over 11, 000 children sampled in the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey(NDHS) under genotype test have sickle cell traits.

Federal Commissioner of the NPC in charge of Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states, Dr. Haliru Jikan-Daudu, stated this during the official launching of the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) Report, in Birnin Kebbi, yesterday.

Jikan-Daudu said the NPC’s sample carried out across selected areas in the country revealed that children between age of six-59 exhibits sickle cell traits.

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Dr. Jikan-Daudu explained that the survey provided up-to-date estimates on basic demographic and health indicators in the country.

“In accomplishing this survey report, NPC  worked with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) under the Federal Ministry of Health across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 41, 821 women, aged 15-49 in 40,427 households and 13, 311 men aged 15-59 in one third of the sampled households were interviewed,representing a response rate of 99 per cent of women and 99 per cent of men,” Jikan-Daudu said.

Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who was represented by his Deputy, Col. Samaila Yombe Dabai (retd) promised that the government would accept the report and work on it for the betterment of citizens.