An Ambitious Undertaking
In a significant move this August, the Republic of Congo is deploying agents from its National Statistics Institute (INS) across the nation’s fifteen departments. The objective is to collect comprehensive health data reflecting hospital attendance, contraceptive practices, HIV incidence, and nutritional status. Primarily focusing on women aged 15 to 49, children under five, and men aged 15 to 64, this iteration marks the third such demographic and health survey since 2005 and 2011-2012.
Strategic Preparations in Place
During a pivotal meeting on June 20 in Brazzaville, the EDSC’s Steering Committee assessed progress and finalized preparations. The permanently assigned technical team has completed essential groundwork, including drafting technical documentation, and testing methodologies and tools. This preparatory phase also encompassed the demographic sample selection, ensuring representativeness, while field cartography work commenced simultaneously.
A notable advancement is the sanctioned introduction of blood tests to determine national prevalence rates of HIV and malaria. Such progression was cleared by the Ethical Committee for Research in Health Sciences, adding rigorous dimension to the survey’s scope, as articulated by INS Director General, Steve Bertrand Mboko Ibara.
Coalescing Support and Resources
Key stakeholders and partners were convened in this preparatory phase, briefed on methodologies, and updated on the survey’s progress. Such alignment aims to streamline the survey’s financial backing and logistical support.
Sylvain Lekaka, the Economy Minister’s chief of staff, emphasizes that the primary goal is furnishing reliable data to guide malaria and HIV programs. The findings will inform the 2022-2026 National Development Plan and align with Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring statistical integrity through probabilistic sampling despite financial constraints.
Navigating Financial and Methodological Challenges
To manage financial demands, the technical team has adopted survey sampling methods, ensuring statistical representation despite budgetary limitations. This strategic adjustment includes stringent measures to maintain the data’s authenticity and representativeness across Congo’s diverse cultural landscape.
The deployment of this survey underscores Congo’s commitment to addressing health issues with robust data-centric policies. As the survey unfolds, its insights are poised to offer critical guidance for national health strategies and regional integration efforts.