A new population and health survey improves the Government's electronic data collection and analytical capabilities.

For many low- and middle-income countries, the availability of reliable data is essential for planning effective public policies. Accurate knowledge of demographic trends, population health, and economic indicators allows investments, services, and development programs to be targeted objectively, rather than based on incomplete estimates.

It is in this context that the work carried out by fits inUnited Nations Development Program (UNDP) together withNational Statistical Office of Eritrea (NSO) through the program Data for Development (D4D)The initiative aims to strengthen the country's statistical infrastructure not only through new surveys, but also through the introduction of IT tools, training activities, and methodologies capable of improving the quality, timeliness, and reliability of the information collected.

The availability of up-to-date statistics is also a prerequisite for evaluating the effectiveness of public policies and measuring progress in key areas of social and economic development. Robust data allow, for example, to observe trends in mortality, access to healthcare, housing conditions, poverty, and the population's geographical distribution.

In countries where censuses are conducted at very long intervals or sample surveys are discontinuous, public administrations and international organizations are often forced to rely on projections and estimates. Strengthening national statistical institutes therefore represents an institutional investment rather than a technological one, as it directly impacts the state's ability to understand the territory and plan interventions.

The most significant achievement of 2025 was the completion of the fourth edition of the Eritrea Population and Health Survey (EPHS), the largest demographic and health survey conducted in the country in over a decade. According to data released by UNDP, the survey involved all six administrative regions, reaching 9.794 families distributed in 405 census areas, with a completion rate of 98,4 percent.

Electronic collection replaces paper questionnaires

The most significant aspect of the initiative concerns the change in the methods of data collection. For the first time, the survey was conducted using the system Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), which allows operators to collect data using electronic devices rather than paper forms.

Using this methodology allows for automatic checks during interviews, reducing transcription errors, validating information in real time, and rapidly transmitting data to central systems. This is a well-established development in large international statistical surveys, but it is particularly important in contexts where manually managing questionnaires is time-consuming, expensive, and carries a greater risk of inconsistencies.

CAPI systems can also integrate logical checks, automatic filters, and completeness checks. If a response is inconsistent with previously entered data, the device can immediately notify the interviewer, allowing them to correct the information before the interview ends.

The ability to synchronize questionnaires with a central platform also makes it easier to track the progress of fieldwork. Survey managers can more quickly identify any delays, anomalies, or uncovered areas, intervening before these issues compromise the overall quality of the sample.

However, digitalization does not eliminate the need for rigorous methodological organization. The quality of results depends on the proper selection of families, the training of operators, the protection of collected information, and the ability to verify that procedures are applied consistently across all areas involved.

According to the material published by UNDP, in addition 85 operators Members of the NSO, the Ministry of Health, and regional administrations have been trained to use the new methodology, helping to build permanent expertise within national institutions.

Linguistic inclusion and higher quality of information

Digitalization did not only concern the collection tools. To improve the representativeness of the survey, the questionnaires were translated into seven local languages ofEritrea: Tigrigna, Tigre, Saho, Afar, Bilen, Kunama and Nara.

The availability of different language versions allows respondents to better understand questions and reduces the risk of misinterpreting health, family, or demographic information. In a national survey, linguistic accessibility is therefore not simply an organizational factor, but a key component of statistical quality.

Unclear wording or inadequately adapted to the local context can lead to inaccurate responses, omissions, or differences that are difficult to compare. Using the languages ​​spoken by the communities involved, however, helps to make the questionnaire more uniform and increase participation in the survey.

The CAPI system also supported tasks that are typically highly complex during a survey of this scale, including random household selection, biometric information management, and automated data cleaning during collection.

Thanks to these features, approximately 500,000 units have already been produced. 400 statistical tables, distributed in 20 chapters of the final report, whose publication is expected during 2026. The project was developed with the technical support of Mikro International Consultancy Service and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Technical skills remain the most important investment

The digital transformation of public administrations doesn't depend solely on the introduction of new IT devices or software. The crucial factor remains the presence of personnel capable of using the tools, monitoring the quality of the information, and correctly interpreting the results.

For statistical surveys, training must include both technical and methodological aspects. Operators must be familiar with the operation of electronic devices, as well as sample selection rules, interview methods, error correction procedures, and data confidentiality principles.

Building permanent expertise within the National Statistical Office can make future data collection campaigns more autonomous and gradually reduce dependence on external technical support. In this regard, the Data for Development program not only focuses on digitizing tools, but also on strengthening administrative and professional capabilities that will remain operational over time.

A national statistical system becomes truly sustainable when it is able to periodically update its methodologies, train new officials, and ensure the continuity of its activities even after the conclusion of international cooperation programs.

Economic statistics are consolidating

In parallel with population-related activities, the program also focused on the production of macroeconomic statistics. The National Statistical Office has completed the compilation of the 2023 national accounts using the production value-added approach and has already begun collecting the information needed to prepare the 2024 accounts.

The availability of up-to-date economic statistics is a key element for public planning. Indicators such as gross domestic product, the sectoral structure of the economy, and the distribution of production are essential tools for defining fiscal policies, investments, and development programs.

National accounts also allow us to understand the contribution made by different production sectors and how the structure of the economy changes over time. Agriculture, industry, services, trade, and public activities can be analyzed separately, providing institutions with a more solid basis for setting priorities.

Regularly updating this information is particularly important during periods characterized by price fluctuations, labor market transformations, or changes in production. In the absence of comparable and methodologically consistent series, it becomes more difficult to distinguish temporary phenomena from structural trends.

The initiative highlights how strengthening statistical capacity is not just about producing new data, but also about building permanent institutional skills capable of ensuring the continuity of surveys over time.

Renewable energy and the resilience of statistical infrastructures

Among the interventions carried out in 2025 there is also the installation of a photovoltaic system at the NSO headquarters. Although it may seem marginal compared to statistical activities, the availability of an independent power source helps ensure the operational continuity of IT infrastructure and data processing activities, reducing dependence on the electricity grid.

Power stability is particularly important for facilities that manage servers, electronic archives, and information transmission systems. Frequent interruptions can slow down survey processing, disrupt device synchronization, and increase the risk of temporary service disruptions.

The photovoltaic system can therefore be considered part of the institute's digital infrastructure. Without reliable power, even the most advanced IT systems risk being unable to operate continuously.

The intervention is part of a broader effort to strengthen the statistical institute's operational capabilities, benefiting both organizationally and in terms of administrative continuity.

Data protection always accompanies digitalization

The transition from paper questionnaires to electronic collection speeds up information management, but also requires adequate procedures for protecting personal and health data.

Surveys of this type may include information on household composition, health conditions, maternity, mortality, access to services, and other particularly sensitive aspects. It is therefore necessary to limit access to the data, distinguish identifying information from the results used for statistical analyses, and ensure that the publication of tables does not allow individual respondents to be traced back.

Security must cover the entire data lifecycle: from collection on the device to transmission to central systems, up to storage, processing, and dissemination of aggregated results.

Digitalization enables stricter controls and differentiated access procedures, but it also increases the importance of technical system management, operator training, and the adoption of clear rules for information use.

From data to public policy: the challenge facing the Asmara government

With the collection phase completed, 2026 will be primarily dedicated to analyzing the information, publishing the EPHS 2025 results, and disseminating the key indicators.

Advanced training activities are also planned, focusing on mortality estimation, demographic projections, database management, and national accounts, as well as the launch of a new survey on Eritrean household income and expenditure.

The concrete value of the survey will depend on the ability to transform the results into tools usable by public decision-makers. Statistical tables can help identify the areas with the greatest need for services, the population segments most exposed to certain risks, and the areas where interventions are producing insufficient results.

Up-to-date demographic and health data can guide facility location, staff distribution, prevention campaign planning, and resource management. Similarly, economic statistics can support investment prioritization and monitoring production activities.

The evolution of national statistical systems represents one of the least visible, yet most important, elements of the digital transformation of public administration. Without reliable information, it becomes difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of healthcare policies, plan infrastructure investments, or measure the impact of economic strategies.

However, data production should not be considered an isolated objective. To be truly useful, statistical information must be timely, comparable, accessible to the relevant institutions, and supported by adequate analytical capabilities.

Beyond the technological aspect, the program highlights how the quality of public decisions increasingly depends on the availability of timely and verifiable data. The progressive replacement of paper-based procedures with IT tools, accompanied by the growth of statistical expertise and the standardization of data collection methods, is one of the prerequisites for making economic and social planning more effective.

For many countries committed to strengthening their statistical institutions, the Eritrean case demonstrates how modernization involves more than just the introduction of new software, but the construction of an integrated system in which infrastructure, professional skills, energy continuity, and methodological quality contribute to the production of reliable information for territorial governance and public policy.

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