Regional experts meet to discuss statistical issues and small island nations

A "satellite meeting" organised by the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS) in association with the 55th Session of the International Statistics Institute (Sydney 5-12 April 2005) was the first in a series of meetings on statistics issues that took place in early April at SPC headquarter.

• From 31 March to 2 April, the IAOS 2005 meeting focused on "Statistical methods specific to islands and small countries".
• From 4 to 7 April, the Regional Meeting of Heads of Planning and Heads of Statistics will discussed "Managing population and socio-economic data, utilising information and creating a culture of evidence-based policy-making".
• Taking advantage of the physical presence of the heads of all Pacific Islands countries’ planning agencies, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat organised a National Planning Workshop back-to-back with the regional meeting organised by SPC.
     "A consensus emerged at the 13th Regional Heads of Statistics meeting in 2003 that it would be useful to have the heads of national statistical agencies join the next heads of planning meeting, thus bringing together the main users of official national statistics – planners, policy analysts, policy-makers – with the producers (statisticians) of these data and statistics," said Garth Parry, SPC Statistician.
     "Having both statisticians and planners will ensure national and territorial statistical collections, including regular population and household censuses and surveys meet the information demands of key users, and underpin policy development and planning," added Gerald Haberkorn, SPC Demographer.
Further information: Sandra Gianini, Project Assistant of Demography/Population & Statistics Programmes, Tel: +687 260224

Gender sensitivity training for trainers in Tuvalu

A training on gender sensitivity was conducted in Funafuti, Tuvalu, 2-6 May 2005. It comprised 19 participants from the government services, the private sector, the traditional  structure - the Kaupule - and NGOs.
     Gender sensitivity training is considered a basic process, targeting policy makers, decision-makers in the various sectors, civil societies and the community at large. It is designed to bring about an attitudinal change within the lives of the participants, and personal reflections are a major part of the training.
     The participants begin with their own perception of what gender is and the facilitator guides the process whereby participants identify for themselves what the gender issues are.
     Participants were clustered into three groups according to similar professions. The first group was made up of the private/public corporations; the second group was the government; and the third group was made up of the civil society and non-government organisations. 
     Objectives and a plan of action within the timeframe were defined for each group. The first group considered ways to promote gender issues in their respective organisations. The second group envisaged a programme to raise gender awareness at all levels through gender sensitivity training. The third group decided to conduct gender sensitivity workshops in the outer islands by the end of 2005.
     The training was very successful as the participants themselves were committed to promote, advocate and implement the actions needed to address gender inequality by the end of the training.

Further information: Rolande Trolue, Women's Development Officer, Tel: +687 260191

HIV and STI surveys commence in New Caledonia

SPC in association with DASS, New Caledonia Department for Health and Social Affairs, and Institut Pasteur has commenced surveys of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and risk behaviours in New Caledonia. Last month, survey teams met in the SPC Jacques Iékawé conference room to discuss progress with the surveys.
   The meeting brought together doctors, nurses, public health and pathology laboratory staff. The survey methods were presented and survey sites reported on their progress with the surveys.
    Three surveys are currently being performed to better understand the extent of HIV and STIs in New Caledonia. Previous surveys have shown that many neighbouring Pacific Island countries have high rates of STI infection such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and, to a lesser extent, syphilis. HIV rates remain low across much of the Pacific but show signs of increasing.
     New Caledonia has already reported 272 cases of HIV up to December 2004.

     The local surveys in New Caledonia will examine if HIV and STI rates are similar to those seen in other Pacific Island countries. The surveys are looking at particular "at-risk" groups in the community. HIV testing is being offered to sex workers working in the Noumea area. In a second survey all pregnant women will be offered HIV and STI testing when they come for their first antenatal check-up. This survey is being performed in the Department of Maternal and Child Protection Maternelle, in Magenta and surrounding suburbs as well as in pregnant women in Koumac and surrounding Northern Province districts. The third survey is examining knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that influence risk of HIV and STIs. A sample of unemployed young people are being interviewed in "Maison de quartier", a proximity structure, "DIJEN" and "Mission d'Insertion des Jeunes" around Noumea to better understand the behaviours that will influence risk of HIV and STIs.
     The surveys will continue over the next month or two and then the results will be analysed and presented back to the Department of Health and Social Affairs. Knowing the extent of HIV and STI infections in the community and the risk behaviours associated with these diseases will better help health authorities to plan testing and prevention programs to reduce the spread of these diseases.
Further information: Tim Sladden, HIV/AIDS Specialist, Tel: +687 262000 ext. 240

Official launch of SPC’s Population GIS

 A computer software tool that will be of tremendous assistance to Pacific Island planners was launched officially at the end of the statistics and planning meeting on Friday 7 April.
     Developed initially for the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa and Vanuatu, the PopGIS system is a very user-friendly data and information management system that combines population information with maps and graphics so that planners can see visually where to focus their development and infrastructure activities.
     "The ultimate goal of this tool is to put data and information at the fingertips of planners and statisticians," says Dr. Gerald Haberkorn, the head of Demography/Population programme at SPC which developed the system. "We were looking at developing a multi-purpose system that would meet different demands of different users. We wanted to assist statisticians to get data more effectively to their main users, and do so in a format that is relevant to their work. We also wanted to provide planners with a powerful decision-support tool that assists policy analysis and the setting of priorities, and allows monitoring of development activities and progress across a broad range of sectoral applications."
     Launching the system on the final day of SPC’s first ever combined regional Heads of Planning and Heads of Statistics meeting, Yves Corbel, SPC’s Deputy Director-General, emphasised the importance of "good data and information as essential to creating a culture of evidence-based decision-making".
     "While we are all pleased with the substantive developments made thus far, we must ensure these developments are sustained", he stressed. "It is important to continue our technical work in countries, while gradually extending the PopGIS system to new countries and territories.  We have already identified the Cook Islands and the Marshall Islands as the next recipients of a national PopGIS."
     Post Scriptum by the Secretariat: Since the above article was written, AusAID has approved additional assistance to SPC’s Demography programme to enable SPC to continue its PopGIS activities and provide technical support to the next round of censuses in the Pacific. The additional funding amounts to almost AUD 1.5 million over three years and responds directly to a request by the region, made at the above meeting, for a regional census support programme. SPC will be collaborating closely with UNFPA. This collaboration will include the development of a Pacific Census Manual and a standard census questionnaire.
Further information: Gerald Haberkorn, Demographer, Tel: +687 260121