The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the Ghana Country Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct the 2025 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in Ghana.
The 2025 MICS which is the fifth edition of the survey in the country aims to gather among others, comprehensive data across a spectrum of crucial topics including child protection, early childhood education, child health and nutrition, maternal health, rapid water quality testing, social transfers.
Key governmental bodies including the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and others will collaborate with GSS and UNICEF on the project.
Speaking at the ceremony Thursday in Accra, the Government Statistician of GSS, Professor Samuel Kwabena Annim, explained that the survey’s implementation timeline spans three years, encompassing preparatory activities, data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings.
He said stakeholder engagements, customisation of survey instruments, and household listing exercises are scheduled throughout 2024, with the main data collection slated for the third quarter of 2025, following comprehensive preparations and logistical arrangements.
According to Prof. Annim, this year’s survey would introduce new areas of assessment such as mental health, food insecurity experiences, children’s time use, and youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
He added that GSS’s comprehensive data sets, which include economic indicators like inflation, Consumer Price Index (CPI), Producer Price Index (PPI), and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), served a wide array of users including government agencies, businesses, academia, civil society organisations, and development partners.
The Government Statistician added that their commitment to international standards ensured that Ghana’s statistical information met global benchmarks for quality and reliability.
The Deputy Country Representative of UNICEF Ghana, Mr Fiachra McAsey, emphasised the survey’s role in informing policies and interventions that directly impact children and women.
“This survey is pivotal in providing essential data for decision-making and monitoring progress towards national and international development goals,” he stated.
He further added that “it will yield 267 indicators, including 33 aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enabling us to effectively monitor the well-being of children and women in Ghana.”
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
