Africa-Press – Uganda. The executive director of Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) has said the census question about pregnancy and the number of children ever born to a woman in a given household will only be answered by women.
Dr Chris Mukiza said women have firsthand information about pregnancy and the number of children born to them.
Ubos boss added that such information is key in guiding his team in disaggregating data on the country’s fertility rate.
According to the World Health Organisation, fertility rate is the number of children born to women during their reproductive age (15-49).
“The question about children ever being born by the woman in a given household will be answered by mothers because they are the ones who give birth,” Dr Mukiza told this publication, adding: “This information is important when we are completing data on fertility rate. For example, now, any woman in her reproductive age can produce 4.7 children.”
Dr Mukiza also revealed that it will be the responsibility of women to explain whether they have children outside marriage.
He said enumerators will guarantee privacy of the respondents so that they can freely avail factual information.
“They will be put aside and asked questions so that the information that they provide is confidential,” the Ubos boss said, appealing to the respondents to cooperate and offer accurate answers.
Mr Didacus Okoth, Ubos’ spokesperson, said mothers will be required to answer questions about the number of children they have, their age and whether they go to school, among others.
“This is purely the responsibility of mothers. They are supposed to respond to the question about how many children she has produced. Unless a mother is not found at home, and the only person found at home is the man who is the father of the home, then a man can respond to that question,” Mr Okoth said.
He, however, said the census exercise will capture data of the whole population, including the disabled, refugees, the elderly, children, among others.
The 2024 national census that got underway proper yesterday will be conducted for 10 days. The erstwhile last census in 2014 indicated that Uganda’s population was estimated at 45.5 million people.
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