Studying population trends and documenting population data is critical for national planning and decision making. UNFPA supports population data collection across countries including in The Gambia through censuses, surveys and other studies.
On Tuesday 18 May 2021, The Gambia launched the findings of the 2019-2020 Demographic and Health Survey.
Supported by UNFPA, the Government of The Gambia and other partners, the 2019-20 GDHS is the second DHS survey implemented in the country, following the survey in 2013 and shows that the country has made notable progress in many health and development indicators.
According to Nyakassi B. Sanayang, Statistician General at the Gambia Bureaus of Statistics,” the 2019-20 Gambia Demographic and Health Survey provides representative results of key health indicators.” These he said, will guide policy and programmatic decisions to ensure healthy lives for all Gambians.
The results of this DHS will provide valuable data for the development of The Gambia’s next National Development Plan, inform the formulation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and the next UNFPA-Government of The Gambia Country Programme Document (2023-2026).
Delivering the Official Launch Statement, Her Excellency the Vice President of The Gambia Dr. Isatou Touray recognised the valuable support and leadership provided by UNFPA in the conduct of the DHS. She applauded the agency’s support to the government and people of The Gambia towards promoting the eralisation of zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal death and zero Gender-Based Violence and harmful practices.
According to the UNFPA Representative Mr. Kunle Adeniyi ”the data captured in the DHS report represents the experiences & reality of our people. We must therefore refocus our efforts towards addressing their plight & ensure that everyone, everywhere, particularly those furthest behind are assured quality of life."
The Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh highlighted that beyond national data, the 2019-20 DHS provides insights on where to best target development interventions as there are still large disparities in health indicators between urban and rural areas, and by wealth across The Gambia.
UNFPA supports the Government of The Gambia through the Gambia Bureau of Statistics to understand and identify such trends, which are critical to development. The agency also advises government and its partners that the best way to ensure sustainable development is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
Media contact:
Haddy Jonga - Programme Analyst Communications, UNFPA The Gambia jonga@unfpa.org
