It corresponds to the seventh round of this mechanism, very useful for understanding the situation of family well-being in the country and being able to outline policies.

The seventh round of the multiple indicator cluster survey, led by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), with technical and financial assistance from UNICEF-Cuba, continues to advance favourably in the central province of Ciego de Ávila.

The process flows on the basis of a representative sample of family units, whose visits allow for the collection of information, basically about the status and well-being of children, adolescents and their families, although it includes elements from other population segments.

Among other matters, the questionnaire contains topics related not only to household composition, levels of overcrowding, family structure by age, educational level and other similar indicators, but also about water quality, breastfeeding, environmental issues that may have an influence, possible manifestations of violence… These surveys (known as MICS) are, therefore, a valuable tool for taking a snapshot of the situation of childhood and adolescence, with the purpose of facilitating the design of strategies and programmes aimed at improving quality of life, evaluating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and shaping public policy planning.

With its customary seriousness, Cuba has taken part in six rounds carried out since the year 2000. In the opinion of those directly involved in the process, there is, in general, understanding and cooperation from the families visited, both in urban and rural areas of the territory. (Author Pastor Batista) Taken from Bohemia Magazine