The best use of data from the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (2019-20 RDHS) will improve sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health as well as family planning, according to Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative, while speaking during the dissemination of data of the 2019-20 RDHS in Karongi, the Western province where district profiles were presented to inform decision makers how to improve health and well being of Rwandans.

The survey was carried out by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) with technical and financial support from the One UN in Rwanda and in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners.

Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah said that UNFPA supports the government of Rwanda in three areas.

"One is to reduce maternal mortality, family planning, population and development in terms of data. There are different ways of using DHS data. One is to collect the data, disaggregate it and use the data in terms of policy, and programming to see which areas or which locations let’s say the districts are lagging behind and what interventions can you put forward to improve conditions of the people.”

He noted that UNFPA works very closely with NISR, through the One UN joint programme on data.

"We supported the Demographic and Health Survey and also the Population and Housing Census. We give finance to our partners but we also give technical support. For instance, regarding the population and housing census, we are developing 12 thematic papers where we are bringing international expertise mostly from other African countries through the South-South cooperation to analyze certain thematic areas whereby it can guide the government in terms of planning to address issues around those areas.”

He added that UNFPA, for instance, also provided 250 laptops to ensure that the population and housing census is technologically based to address the time spent in terms of collecting data.

"Most importantly, as we are coming to the end of NST1 and going to have NST2, the data collected through the census is going to inform where the gaps are and what we need to do for the NST2,” he noted.

The Governor of Western Province, Francois Habitegeko, lauded UNFPA for having supported the dissemination of DHS findings for the province to identify where it has gaps.

"After seeing the findings, we realized our gaps and we have immediately drafted recommendations so that we have action plans to address the gaps we have so as to improve the health of our population,” he said.

Habitegeko said that some of the recommendations include making efforts to end maternal and infant mortality, improving family planning services, reducing stunting among children, addressing teen pregnancies, and women empowerment.

"We laud UNFPA for the good collaboration in improving the way we overcome different challenges in the health sector. For instance, we have to put in more effort into antenatal care services for pregnant women because failing to do this can lead to maternal and infant death. While providing antenatal care services, pregnant women are also taught about family planning, nutrition, and hygiene,” he said.

For instance, according to the 2019-20 RDHS, only 54 per cent use modern methods of family planning in Western Province.

The survey found that most women in the province had over four children, showing the need for increased family planning uptake.

The statistics showed that 4.1% of adolescents between 15-19 years old got teen pregnancies.

Other areas of improvement, he said, include increasing and strengthening health posts, improving human resources by increasing the number of nurses and improving infrastructure such as roads.

Donatien Ngabo Ntagara, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Health, said that implementing recommendations from the DHS findings dissemination workshop requires being innovative and working together.

"Only one year to complete NST1 and we have to work together to meet the targets. Findings from DHS show us where we have gaps. We have to come up with an improvement plan and monitor its implementation.

"The Ministry of Health has to work with mayors and governors to achieve the targets. UNFPA has been supporting us in data use for maternal and child health improvement.”