Goals for Sustainable Development: New Report Highlights Need for Investment in National Data Collection Systems

The low and middle income countries need urgent investment to qualify the population collection and management of health data, according to a report on the progress of the Global Strategy for Health of Women, Children and Adolescents, launched in parallel meeting to the 71st ONU General Meeting, on 18 September.

The warning is just one of dozens of Monitoring priorities report's findings for the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030), prepared with the participation of the researcher Cesar Victora, from the Equity International Center for Health, Federal University of Pelotas.

The document assesses gaps in the international project and point solutions to monitor the progress of countries in relation to sixty health indicators of the Global Strategy for Health of Women, Children and Adolescents, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the report, in many countries, there are serious flaws in the collection and analysis of data necessary to identify strategies, monitor progress and accountability of public health action in relation to the target populations.

The report's findings point to a series of concrete actions that pass through the mobilization of political support and international financial investment, amongst them the strengthening of national systems of civil registration and vital statistics, training of local staff for data analysis and decision making and redoubled efforts to combat inequalities.

Report chapter author on issues of equity, Cesar Victora draws attention to the importance of analysis of data disaggregated by sex, age, income, education, gender and other aspects of ensuring human rights, in all populations and locations in order to identify marginalized groups and meet those who are not being made by health programs. More about the publication