By Shongedzai Mugwagwa
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) has begun the dissemination process of its key findings from the Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS6), the Harare Post can report.
Officiating at the launch of the dissemination process of the MICS 2019 results in the Harare Metropolitan province, UNICEF country representative, Ms Laylee Moshiri commended Zimbabwe for being one of the first few countries to complete the MICS6.
“Let me congratulate the Government of Zimbabwe, through ZIMSTAT, for all the effort in ensuring that this survey succeeded. Through these efforts, Zimbabwe became only the 14th country to complete and release the 6th round of MICS results,” she said.
She further commended and applauded ZIMSTATS enumerators for delivering the key findings according to plan. She, however, highlighted that many met hassles like the Cyclone Idai during their duties.
She mentioned an enumerator whose family, house and belongings were washed away by the floods in Manicaland whilst he was carrying out his duties.
ZIMSTAT unveiled its key findings from the MICS 2019 in December last year. MICS is the largest source of statistically sound and internationally comparable data on women and children worldwide developed and supported by UNICEF.
ZIMSTAT Director General, Taguma Mahonde highlighted that it is now on the agency’s calendar to carry out the MICS after every five years.
The 2019 Zimbabwe MICS for which field work was conducted between January and April 2019 received funding from the European Union, UKAID, and the Swedish Government.
MICS 2019 is the third of its kind in Zimbabwe following the household surveys conducted in 2009 and 2014. The survey findings provide disaggregated data to measure progress and assess gaps on key indicators in numerous thematic areas affecting women and children's lives such as child and maternal mortality, fertility, child health and nutrition, birth registration, adolescents, HIV and sexual behaviour, child discipline and domestic violence, early childhood development, education, and drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, amongst many others.
New multi sector, nationwide research shows that the country has recorded a decrease in maternal mortality from 614 to 462 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births since 2014
