Zomba- UNFPA Malawi handed over 15,000 tablets worth US$2,353,207.35 to the Malawi Government to support the 2018 Population and housing census data collection. This is the first time Malawi will use tablets to collect data in a population and housing census exercise. Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe and National Statistical Office Commissioner Mercy Kanyuka received the tablets in Zomba. Funds used to procure the tablets were mobilized from DFID.
Receiving the tablets, the Minister expressed his gratitude for the support and assured DFID and UNFPA that the tablets will be well taken care of during the entire exercise. He further commended NSO for its good work in data generation. “Our Statistics office is one of the best within the SADC region and continues to conducts its work with excellence” he said. “I am therefore sure that the upcoming census will also be successful”.
UNFPA Malawi Representative Young Hong expressed gratitude to DFID for the financial support to procure the tablets. “I have seen the preparatory work and I am sure that we are now ready for the census” she said after touring the warehouse where the software for the census is being installed in the tablets. She also recognized the good working relationship that exists between UNFPA and DFID in other programmes beyond census.
Minister, Goodall Gondwe on how the tablets will work
Country Director for DFID in Malawi Dave Beer commended the Malawi Government for commissioning the 2018 PHC which is essential for documenting critical data on various populations including persons living with albinism.
The census data collection exercise commences on 3rd September through 23rd September 2018, using a computerised data collection system which will ensure that data is collected in real time and sent to the central server for compilation and analysis. Once the exercise is finished, the tablets will be sent to UNFPA Zambia who have planned to conduct their census in 2020.
The 2018 Population and Housing census has been financially and technically supported by the UK government through DFID, UNFPA and other UN Agencies in Malawi, USAID, the Norwegian Government, GIZ, Irish Aid and Standard Bank of Malawi.
