The Government of Fiji has just released the preliminary findings of its first ever Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted during March-April 2021. The preliminary results indicate generally positive developments in children’s well-being in key areas such as immunization and early childhood development.
The Fiji MICS has collected data on health, nutrition, child protection, education, learning skills of children, early childhood development, water, sanitation and hygiene among other topics. The findings provide data on 165 indicators, including 28 Sustainable Development Goal and 23 Pacific Sustainable Development indicators.
In just a few months, COVID-19 has upended the lives of children in Fiji with thousands not being able to go to school, parents and caregivers losing their jobs and borders being closed. The MICS findings have come at a time when access to data on national priority areas has become essential for decision making. The survey results will be instrumental in designing the COVID-19 response by providing baseline data to measure the impact of COVID-19 and the capacities to cope at household level.
The Fiji MICS 2021, led by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, is funded by the Government of New Zealand, with additional financial and technical support provided by UNICEF and UNFPA. The Pacific Community (SPC) have also provided technical support to the survey.
The comprehensive Survey Findings Report and micro data will be released later this year.
Access the preliminary results here.
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