This section is devoted to the [demographic] events that occurred in the past 12 months. That is, the births and the deaths that occurred in this household during the 12 months prior to the visit of the census enumerator.
These events must be registered faithfully, and with great accuracy, in order to avoid omissions that could affect the quality of the data. In addition, the accuracy of the results that will be obtained will be a function of the rigorous consideration of the recall period of 12 months, taken as the reference period. The census enumerator date of visit in the household is the milestone for determining this period.
For instance, if the date of visit of the census enumerator in the household is April 6, 1998, only the events between April 6, 1997 and this date shall be registered. A birth or a death that occurred prior to April 6, 1997 will not be registered.
One could use as a landmark the month of the previous Muslim festival [Tabaski], which occurred on April 18, 1997, or the date of the first round of parliament elections of April 13, 1997, which has been cancelled, to specify the previous 12 months period.
A seasonal calendar was elaborated (see Annex), to help the illiterate persons to better define this 12 months period prior to the census date. This seasonal calendar provides correspondences between the dates on the Gregorian calendar and the Muslim calendar with the lunar months translated into Bambara.
1.3.2. Deaths during the past 12 months
This summary table deals with all deaths that occurred in the household during the past 12 months (children, adults, elderly persons).
The deaths will be also registered according to the general principle mentioned above.
The census enumerator will proceed as follows:
- Write down on a spare sheet your date of visit in the household. Example: April 6, 1998.
Then ask to the household head: "Has there been any death in this household over the past 12 months, that is, since April 6, 1997?"
For an illiterate household head, this will be the lunar month in the Muslim calendar corresponding to April 1997 (see Annex).
Circle the number corresponding to the answer given, in the following way:
[] 2 No
a. If the answer to the question asked is "no", circle number 2, and cross-out the summary table of the deaths in the last 12 months.
b. If the answer to the question is "yes", circle number 1, and fill in the summary table on deaths that occurred during the past 12 months.
However, before filling in this table, check one more time that the death well occurred during the reference period, that is during the 12 months prior to your visit in the household.
Filling in the summary table is done Column by Column.