PRESS RELEASE
IT WILL BE RECALLED THAT IN SEPTEMBER 2014, THE ENUMERATION EXERCISE OF THE 2014 NATIONAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE FROM 6TH TO 19TH DECEMBER, 2014 WAS POSTPONED TO 4TH TO 17TH APRIL, 2015 DUE TO THE UNPRECEDENTED OUTBREAK OF THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE AND THE ENSUING DECLARATION OF A STATE OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SINCE THEN, PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE CENSUS HAVE BEEN PROGRESSING ACCORDING TO PLAN. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE CENSUS FIELD-BASED ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF FIELD STAFF ARE STILL AFFECTED BY THE EBOLA OUTBREAK AS THEY INVOLVE WIDER INTERACTIONS WITH THE POPULATION. IT WILL THEREFORE NOT BE POSSIBLE TO CONDUCT SOME OF THE KEY PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES FOR THE MAIN CENSUS BY THE END OF MARCH, 2015.
WHILE GOVERNMENT WAS EXAMINING THE PROBLEM, A LETTER WAS RECEIVED FROM THE ALL POLITICAL PARTIES ASSOCIATION CALLING FOR THE CENSUS TO BE PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE OF REASONS INTER ALIA IDENTIFIED. THE CENSUS ADVISORY AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEES, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) AND THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SANITATION HAVE ALSO ADVISED THAT THE ENUMERATION PROCESS WHICH WILL BE LARGELY INTERACTIVE SHOULD BE POSTPONED FROM APRIL, 2015 TO DECEMBER, 2015 IN ANTICIPATION THAT THE COUNTRY WILL BE COMPLETELY EBOLA-FREE BY THEN. AFTER CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE SITUATION BY THE STATISTICS SIERRA LEONE COUNCIL, AND FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS WITH THE ALL POLITICAL PARTIES ASSOCIATION, HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT HAS GRACIOUSLY APPROVED THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE ENUMERATION ACTIVITIES OF THE POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS, EARLIER RESCHEDULED FOR 4TH -17TH APRIL, 2015 TO 5TH – 18TH DECEMBER, 2015.
THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS ASSURED THAT THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE MAIN CENSUS UNTIL DECEMBER, 2015 WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE CENSUS DATA QUALITY. IT WILL HOWEVER AFFECT THE TIMING OF THE RELEASE OF CENSUS RESULTS, AS THE FINAL RESULTS INITIALLY EXPECTED IN DECEMBER 2015 WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE BY DECEMBER, 2016.
END
STATE HOUSE
FREETOWN 3RD FEBRUARY, 2015
