Health statistics play an important role in monitoring and planning health services in the eight districts of Eastern Highlands Province.
This is from Eastern Highlands Provincial Health Chief Executive Officer, Joshua Soso, at the official launching of the Eastern Highlands Demographic and Health Survey provincial training.
The survey will also capture provinces in delivering health services provided by the national government.
Mr Soso says quantitative analysis must be gathered from all districts right down to the villages, to identify key problems in health areas, and delivering the right services.
He said this will improve the statistical records of the province and Papua New Guinea.
According to the National Statistical Office, the need to capture provincial data is important in identifying the health indicators in all provinces for the government and developing partners.
Meanwhile, Provincial Health Authority Chairman, Solomon Tato, says a challenge for the survey will be in rural areas where people may not cooperate with interviewers, because this year’s questions cover sensitive health topics.
The provincial training has 22 field interviewers from the eight districts.
After the workshop, field interviewers will be assigned into three teams.
However, according to the EHP Coordinators, an extra team is needed, because Eastern Highlands Province has the biggest number of census units and households in the country.
The demographic and health survey will be conducted only in 40 selected census units, which covers 3,182 households.
