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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Jul 2010 : 12:42:25
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This excellent speech  was reported in the Daily News and does show that the vice president fully understand that it is an absolute necessity to have up to date information if you are to run an administration properly and allocate funding where it is most required,I hope that she will be able to maintain the active movement that she has found necessary to bring The Gambia into the modern world as it exists in most countries now.
http://www.dailynews.gm/
(you will have to go via this link I am not enough of a boffin to redirect you direct to the piece  )
POPULATION & SOCEITY
July 11th each year marks World Population Day. This day was established as a way to focus on the urgency and importance of population issues. The theme for world population day 2010 is “Everyone Counts” thus underscoring the important of data for development. The focus for this years celebration is on the 2010 round of population housing censuses, data analysis for development and UNFPA`s lead role in population and development.
People around the world observe world population day in different ways. In the Gambia, the day would be marked by speeches, press conference and march pass by people from all walks of life to help bring attention to the significance of valid, reliable timely, culturally relevant and internationally comparable data for policy and programme development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
According to the United Nations secretary general, Ban ki Moon, “access to good data is a component of good governance, transparency and accountability. Populacation data help leaders and policy – makers to make informed decision about policies and programmes to reduce poverty and hunger and advance education, health and gender equality”.
The most directed way to find out how many people there are is to count them, and when you do that you are conducted a population census. The United Nations defines a population census more specifically as the total process of collecting, compiling and publishing demographic, economic and social data pertaining, at a specified time or times, to all persons in a country or delimited territory.
Population and housing census is the primary sources of information on the number and characteristics, distribution, processes and structure of the population. First and foremost, it takes the stock of the most important asset of countries: human capital and therefore, one of the most important tools for policy markers. Indeed the unique advantage of the census is that of representing the entire statistical universe down to the smallest geographical units.
For purposes that require data at particular levels of aggregation such as municipalities or regions, the censushas no match.
Good demographic data is critical for planning schools, health system and public transporation, for designing policies based on future population projections, for monitoring the effectiveness service delivery, assessing the socio-economic situation of women and men, raising awareness about population issues amoung government, decision- makers and the population at large and much more.
I hope you will by now agree with me that good data is indeed critical for evidence based policies and programmes for improving people’s lives.
Conducting a population and housing census properly is however one of the most complex and expensive tasks a resource constrained country like The Gambia can undertake.
It requires mapping the entire country, figuring out what technologies should be employed, mobilizing and training legions of enumerators, conducting a major public campaign, canvassing all households, collecting individual information, compiling thousands of completed questionnaires, monitoring procedures and results, and analyzing and disseminating the data.
The conduct of population censuses in The Gambia dates back to 1881 when the first census was conducted.
Since then, censuses have been conducted at a fairly regular interval of ten years.
You may recall that the most recent one was conducted in April 2003, and we plan to conduct the next in April 2013 as preparations to that effect are already in place.
The results of the planned 2013 population and housing census of The Gambia will provide data for updating indicators and information related to entire population and their housing.
It shall also be a rich source of data in responding to the objectives of the decentralization programme and monitoring progress, assessing and realizing plans and strategies and conducting effective advocacy.
The maps produced during the mapping exercise can be used by municipalities and local government authorities in the preparation of urban development plans and improving the address system for large settlement throughout the country.
In addition, the indicators generated from the census data would help the country track MDG, PRSP 2, and vision 2020 indicators.
It is imperative to note in passing that The Gambia as a country have conducted lots of surveys including MICS 1,2&3, poverty and other sectoral studies during inter-censual years in addition to the routine data collection efforts of the planning units of ministries like health, education and agriculture.
Inspite of all these achievements, there are still data gaps in some sectors and urgent need to conduct the demographic and health survey which could help gather more up-to-date information on reproductive and sexual health.
For example, the last nationally representative study on maternal mortality was conducted in 2001 and the findings of survey on migration and urbanization are yet to be finalized.
Other data-demand areas for our rapidly evolving economy are agriculture and communication, in particular, ICT sub-sector.
Performance and transformation in these economic activities have been impressive and greatly contributed to the resilient economic growth that The Gambia witnessed in the recent years despite the global recession.
Therefore the 2013 census will seek information on the national agricultural infrastructure and access to ICT at the household level in a comprehensive manner.
In celebrating World Population Day 2010, The Gambia government and its people would like to join the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) and other UN agencies, development partners and the rest of the world to assert the right of every one to be counted, especially women, girls, the poor and marginalized, men and boys.
Census and population data plays a critical role in development and humanitarian response and recovery.
With Quality data we can better track and make greater progress to achieve the MDGs, vision 2020 and promote and protect the dignity and human rights of all people.
In conclusion, I am really informed that our celebration will conclude a march pass to the Gambia Bureau of Statistics, speeches by key policy makers, radio and television broadcast, press conference, drama performance/song on the theme by Traditional communicators and other activities.
I wish you all a successful celebration of world population day 2010.
I thank you all!
sted By: article on Jul 12, 2010 05:02PM
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 13 Jul 2010 12:47:25 |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jul 2010 : 01:26:36
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It must have been a good speech as opposition supporters apparantly couldn't find anything wrong with it,where is the UDP propaganda Secretary,or his spokesman for a comment  ...........Hmmmmmmmmmm.......not about then  |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 14 Jul 2010 01:27:59 |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jul 2010 : 23:38:49
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More on World population day:
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/guest-editorial-world-population-day
This time from an "Editorial Guest" this explains how the world ecomic problems will hit women and children in many developing countries hardest.
Guest Editorial World Population Day
Africa » Gambia
Monday, July 12, 2010
Editorial
The World Bank has joined the International Monetary Fund and rating agencies in projecting an economic contraction this year for the Philippines. Already, developing countries are seeing hard-won gains in the fight against poverty being reversed or threatened by the recession. As the global economic crisis deepens, the United Nations is expecting women and children in developing countries to bear the brunt of the impact.
The crisis gives more urgency to the implementation of measures that will promote education and health care for women and children. This is the message of the United Nations Population Fund as the 20th World Population Day is marked today. The UNFPA points out that investments in education and health of women and girls have been linked to higher national productivity, agricultural yield and income, all of which contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals.
The UNFPA, in a statement released for World Population Day, called on governments to promote women#146;s reproductive health and prevent maternal and child deaths through family planning programs and the use of contraceptives. Even the person in charge of direct aid for the poor in the Philippines, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, is pushing for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill as resources shrink in the recession and the population continues to boom.
The UNFPA points out that an investment in contraceptive services could be recouped four times over in terms of savings in public education, health care and other social services. The UN agency also says that family planning alone can reduce maternal deaths by up to 40 percent.If Congress passes the Reproductive Health Bill and President Arroyo, who continues to woo the Catholic Church for her personal political agenda, sits on the measure indefinitely, local governments can promote their own family planning programs.
Simply giving women sufficient information about their own reproductive health could go a long way in saving the lives of women and children. In this country, women with sufficient income and education are aware of the choices available to them in spacing childbirths.Millions of less privileged women have no access to those choices. Policy-makers should see women's reproductive health as a right for all, not a luxury for the few.
Author: Daily Observer
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 14 Jul 2010 23:40:29 |
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