Category Archives: Nutrition

New Online Course: Introduction to DHS Nutrition Indicators

Written by: The DHS Program

26 Jan, 2022

Nutrition is a cornerstone of health and development. Tracking nutrition indicators is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.  Introduction to Nutrition Indicators in DHS Surveys, the latest open course offered on The DHS Program Learning Hub, is available for free with […]


The DHS Program and the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables

Written by: The DHS Program

08 Dec, 2021

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. The consumption of fruit and vegetables supports healthy growth and development in young children by providing important nutrients. Regular fruit and vegetable consumption throughout life can also help prevent noncommunicable diseases during adulthood.  In 2021 the World Health Organization (WHO) and United […]


New Resources Provide Updated Guidance on Biomarker Collection in DHS-8

Written by: The DHS Program

28 Sep, 2021

The DHS Program is pleased to announce the availability of the Biomarker Manual: Training Program for Measuring and Testing for Biomarkers and the DHS Height Standardization Tool on The DHS Program website. The Biomarker Manual aligns with DHS-8 standard materials and policies representing the most up-to-date procedures. Standard measures in DHS surveys include height/length, weight, and […]


Collecting Quality Anthropometric Data in The DHS Program

Written by: The DHS Program

14 May, 2020

The DHS Program has been a leading source of anthropometric (height and weight) data for more than 30 years. Measurements are collected from children, women, and men in some surveys. This information enables countries to make data-driven decisions and to monitor their progress in improving nutritional status and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The DHS […]


Meeting Emerging Nutrition Data Needs in DHS-8

Written by: The DHS Program

11 Dec, 2019

Nutrition is central to the health, well-being, and economic development of individuals, communities, and nations. Comprehensive and credible data are needed to capture the current state of nutrition and track the implementation of nutrition interventions. The DHS Program is a leading source of nutrition data in low and middle-income countries. The DHS Program has standard […]


Nutrition in the Health System: Linking SPA and DHS Surveys

Written by: The DHS Program

10 Sep, 2019

Global momentum on quality of care in the health system continues to expand. The United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) recognizes that the health system is a key pillar in providing universal coverage of essential nutrition actions. Reliable data for monitoring is central to understanding and improving the health system for nutrition. In […]


Luminare: Field Testing Solutions to Anthropometry Data Collection in Nigeria

Written by: The DHS Program

23 May, 2019

© 2018 Hanna Useem/ICF This blog post is part of Luminare, our new blog series exploring innovative solutions to data collection, quality assurance, biomarker measurement, data use, and further analysis. This is the first post in the series that focuses on innovations to improve the quality of anthropometry data.   Anthropometry, the measurement of the human body, gives a snapshot of the malnutrition situation in a country. Yet, […]


Strengthening Nutrition Data Quality at The DHS Program

Written by: The DHS Program

28 Feb, 2019

A health technician tests a child for anemia during a survey training. © 2018 ICF/Sorrel Namaste “Everything bad can go wrong at collecting the sample, and you can’t get any good results from a bad sample. ” – Informant from the Enhancing Nutrition Data Quality Report Data for decision-making is vital as countries work to […]


The New Nutrition Team

Written by: The DHS Program

12 Oct, 2017

Did you know that nutrition is one of the most published topics using data from The DHS Program? This shows what a major resource The DHS Program is for nutrition-related policy, programs, and research. Recognizing the important contribution of nutrition data, two new nutrition experts have recently joined The DHS Program team, Drs. Sorrel Namaste […]


The Nutrition Landscape in India

Written by: The DHS Program

16 Dec, 2014

This post is part of a series commemorating 30 years of The DHS Program. By Fred Arnold Historically, India has suffered through devastating periods of famine, but due to the Green Revolution, improved food storage and distribution, and other factors, famine has been all but eradicated in the country. However, malnutrition continues to threaten the […]


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