Health Minister Joe Cassar is right. We do need our own statistics.

Last week, Dr Cassar said that he always felt that Malta needed its own records on health issues, rather than base itself on international statistics. Now we will have them.

It is the first time, since 1984, that such research will be carried out on the Maltese population. It will provide valuable data on health issues pertaining to the Maltese population, which are not necessarily similar to those of other countries. These will then be compared to results obtained abroad and, once the exercise will start on a regular basis, with future similar research that will be carried out locally.

Malta will be one of 14 countries that will take part in the European Health Examination Survey, which locally will be under the responsibility of the Department for Health Information and Research. Some 400 people will take part in a questionnaire and undergo a clinical visit which will look at the weight, height, waist measurements and lead levels, among others.

A great deal of statistics was obtained from the survey that was held internationally two years ago, and these were useful when it came to planning health services and health promotion campaigns. Malta will now have its own statistics that will help the authorities take the necessary steps with which to combat trends that may be affecting us more than other European nations.

The tests will be carried out in five different health centres and in the Gozo Hospital, and Dr Cassar is again right when he appealed to all those who have been selected to take part. The more people accept to involve themselves in the project, the more accurate the results obtained will be. The smaller the sample, the higher the risk of skewed results.

In fact, there are already plans for another survey, this time involving 2,500 people, to take place in 2013. This will probably give a better picture of the overall situation, but in the meantime the research that will be carried out in the coming weeks will already provide a clear indication of what is taking place in Malta, and give a strong idea on what needs to be done to tackle certain health issues.

Although the health authorities monitor the local situation carefully, such statistics will provide them with added information that will be extremely valuable when they come up with policies and recommendations.

Like the minister did, we appeal to all those who will be called up to give their contribution.