MICS7: A Groundbreaking Step For Tonga In Data Collection To Monitor The Well-Being Of All Children And Their Families

Joint Press Release
Tonga Statistics Department in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners with funding from DFAT and GoT

Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 24 October 2024 – The Kingdom of Tonga has officially become the first Pacific Island country to conduct the 2024 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) using the newly launched seventh round (MICS7) - the largest coverage of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators of any global household survey.

“The Tonga Statistics Department has confidence that the data collected through the MICS 2024, with the theme 'Building a Safer, Healthier, and Sustainable Future for Tonga’, will make a significant contribution to the livelihoods of the people of Tonga by enabling effective monitoring and reporting on the progress made towards national and regional priorities, as well as global SDGs,” said the Tonga MICS 2024 Manager, Telekaki Latavao. “The MICS 2024 will cover all five main administrative islands of Tonga, and data collection is expected to be completed mid-December this year.”

Developed and supported by UNICEF, MICS is the largest source of statistically sound and internationally comparable data on children and their families worldwide, aiming to strengthen the country’s progress towards national goals and global commitments to promote their welfare.

The Tonga MICS 2024 survey will provide crucial data on what children and women in Tonga are facing today and how their lives have changed over time, since the last Tonga MICS in 2019.

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It will cover a wide range of indicators, including health, education, and child protection, providing a holistic view of the nation’s progress. This data will help policymakers, stakeholders, and international partners to make informed decisions and implement strategies that drive sustainable development in Tonga.

“I would like to congratulate the Kingdom of Tonga on achieving a major milestone - being the first in the Pacific to embark on this seventh round of MICS,” said UNICEF Pacific Representative, Jonathan Veitch.

“While progress continues to be made in important areas of child development, the data will help to identify the gaps throughout the country with rural/urban, gender and age disparities. Good data will help decision makers to focus interventions and resources on addressing these gaps, so that all children in Tonga can maximize their chances to survive, thrive and realize their full potential.”

The survey’s implementation is currently being preceded by an intensive fieldwork programme which begins today and will last for seven weeks. This follows a four-week training that was designed to equip the enumerators with the necessary skills and knowledge. The training ensures that the data collection process during the fieldwork is thorough, accurate, and consistent with international standards.

“Australia is pleased to support the Government of Tonga and UNICEF to roll out this critical national survey, particularly to understand the impacts of recent, multiple shocks and disasters on Tonga’s communities,” said Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, His Excellency, Mr. Brek Batley. “We look forward to seeing the results and Tonga’s progress towards its development goals.”

The Tonga MICS 2024, led by the Tonga Statistics Department, is funded by the Government of Tonga, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and UNICEF. Technical support to the Tonga MICS 2024 is being provided by UNICEF and UNFPA.

Tonga, amongst 15 countries globally that have already embarked on MICS7, will be soon followed by the Federated States of Micronesia from the Pacific region.

About Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS):

MICS is an international household survey programme developed and supported by UNICEF. Since its inception in 1995, MICS has become the largest source of statistically sound and internationally comparable data on women and children worldwide.

Over 27 years, 406 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys have been carried out in more than 120 countries, generating data on key indicators on the well-being of children and women, and helping shape policies for the improvement of their lives. MICS has evolved to respond to the changing data needs, expanding from 28 indicators of issues pertaining to children and women in the first round to more than 200 indicators in the current seventh round.

For more information: http://mics.unicef.org/

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