Demographic and Health Surveys

Demographic and Health Surveys
Name	Demographic and Health Surveys
Abbreviation	DHS
Formation	1984
Type	International program
Headquarters	ORC Macro (former), ICF International
Region served	Global
Parent organization	United States Agency for International Development

Demographic and Health Surveys Demographic and Health Surveys provide standardized population and health data used by researchers, policymakers, and international organizations. Sponsored initially by the United States Agency for International Development and implemented by institutions such as ICF International and ORC Macro, these surveys inform work by agencies like the World Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund, and World Bank. The program supports national statistical offices across countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Overview

The program produces nationally representative datasets on fertility, mortality, family planning, and health for countries including India, Nigeria, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Peru, Philippines, Haiti, Pakistan, Zambia, and Tanzania. Routine outputs such as the DHS Model Questionnaire and the DHS Program reports are used by entities including the United Nations Children's Fund, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and national ministries like the Ministry of Health (Kenya) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India). Academic users in institutions such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford analyze DHS data for demographic and epidemiological research.

History and Development

The initiative evolved from earlier efforts by organizations including the Population Council, Macro International, and USAID surveys in the 1970s and 1980s. Milestones involved partnerships with the United Nations, collaboration with the Demographic Transition research community, and methodological advances influenced by scholars at Princeton University, University of Chicago, and Columbia University. Expansion phases covered regions serviced by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union, and the Caribbean Community. The program adapted to global health priorities endorsed at conferences such as the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and worked alongside initiatives like Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals.

Methodology and Survey Design

DHS uses stratified cluster sampling and household roster methods similar to techniques promoted by statisticians at United Nations Statistical Division, International Household Survey Network, and researchers affiliated with RAND Corporation. Questionnaires capture data on individuals, households, and biomarkers; instruments echo standards from the World Health Organization's multi-country surveys and the Global AIDS Monitoring reporting frameworks. Field operations coordinate with national bodies such as Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), and National Statistical and Information Authority (Sudan), and employ training protocols shaped by methods from Survey Research Center (University of Michigan) and NORC at the University of Chicago.

Key Indicators and Topics Covered

DHS reports include indicators on fertility rates, contraceptive prevalence, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, mortality, and HIV prevalence for work by UNAIDS, UNICEF, and PAHO. Specific measures reported inform programs run by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PATH, and Save the Children. Topic modules have addressed topics linked to policies from ministries like the Ministry of Health (Ghana), initiatives by Family Planning 2020, and evaluations related to President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. DHS biomarker testing protocols have been used in collaboration with laboratories such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Global Health Protection and research centers at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Data Collection, Quality Control, and Ethics

Fieldwork protocols emphasize interviewer training, pilot testing, translation, and back-translation practices influenced by standards developed at International Organization for Migration and World Health Organization. Quality control includes re-interviews, supervisory checks, and sampling frame updates often using census data from agencies such as the United Nations Statistics Division and national census bureaus like the National Population Commission (Nigeria). Ethical oversight involves institutional review boards at institutions including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and country-level ethics committees such as those in Uganda and South Africa. Consent procedures and data protection standards align with norms advocated by Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences and protocols similar to those in Declaration of Helsinki.

Data Access, Use, and Impact

DHS datasets are widely available to researchers, policymakers, and NGOs and have supported analyses published in journals including The Lancet, Demography, The BMJ, Population Studies, and American Journal of Public Health. Governments and donors such as European Commission, United Kingdom Department for International Development, and Canadian International Development Agency use DHS findings to inform national strategies implemented by agencies like World Bank Group and African Development Bank. The program has enabled evaluations of programs by UNICEF, Gavi, and Global Fund, and informed scholarly work at institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge.

Category:International statistical services