Davao City (9 October) -- National Statistics Office (NSO) acting regional director Raul Gomez said the country is celebrating the month of October as the 18th National Statistic Month.

This year's theme is: "Statistics and Actions: a Road to a Better Life through the MDGs."

As part of the monthlong celebration highlight, NSO will have a full presentation of "Data Dissemination on the Results of the 2006 Family Planning Survey" to be held on October 26, according to Leah Magracia, NSO's statistician expert.

Survival needs are the basic needs of a person in order to survive and to prolong life by maintaining his physical fitness and health. Indicators of survival needs include food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation. These needs also protect the person from being ill.

Based on the highlights of the 1998 Annual Poverty Indicator Survey in region eleven, in as farm as health is concerned, government health centers have been stationed at nearly all barangays in the country to cater to the medical needs of the people. Specifically, women's health needs are service in the form of information campaigns on the importance of tetanus toxoid vaccinations and family planning services. These services can also be obtained from private medical facilities.

Tetanus toxoid are specially given to women who are pregnant or lactating. In Region XI, women of almost 76,000 families were given tetanus toxoid injections. This is 73 percent of the total families with pregnant of lactating female members in the region.

A larger percentage was serviced at Davao Oriental, where 86 percent of families received the vaccine. Still less women in the bottom 40 percent families were ablt to obtain the service than those in the upper60 percent.