Everything You Need to Know about DHS Data and More

Written by: The DHS Program

15 May, 2017

So, you’re new to DHS and you’ve registered as a DHS data user, downloaded the free available datasets, but now what? We have the perfect resources to get you started. The following videos provide an overview of DHS data answering key questions such as, what is a data file or dataset? What is the difference between De […]


New data available from DHS-7 Questionnaire: WASH Indicators

Written by: The DHS Program

05 May, 2017

This is Part 2 in the New Data Available from DHS-7 Questionnaire blog series that explores the new data that are available in DHS reports resulting from changes made to the DHS-7 questionnaire in 2014. This post focuses on changes made to improve the quality and quantity of data collected about water and sanitation. Part […]


The DHS Program at the 2017 PAA Annual Meeting

Written by: The DHS Program

24 Apr, 2017

The DHS Program research team at the 2016 PAA Annual Meeting We are pleased to announce that The DHS Program and staff will be attending this year’s Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting in Chicago from April 27-29. PAA is a nonprofit, scientific, professional organization established to promote the improvement, advancement, and progress of […]


New Data Available from DHS-7 Questionnaire: Maternal and Pregnancy-Related Mortality

Written by: The DHS Program

11 Apr, 2017
Baby Kabuche, 30 yrs old, 4 months pregnant, outside her house. Baby has 2 children: Eric, 12, living with granparents in Musoma and Judith, 6, living with her and her husband. She works in a factory manufacturing alluminium pots and iron rods. But as she becqme pregnant she took some unpaid leave as the factory uses acid and other toxic materials and she cares for the safety and health of her baby. Baby got malaria only once as she sleeps under mosquito net all the time. This new one makes her happy as it is treated with mosquito repellent and it is more effective.

© 2016 Riccardo Gangale/VectorWorks, Courtesy of Photoshare In 2014, The DHS Program began the process of updating the standard DHS questionnaires. With input from stakeholders, feedback from in-country implementing agencies, and a host of lessons learned from the previous 5-year program, we added, modified, and, in some cases, deleted questions. For many indicators, the actual […]


Inside The DHS Program: Q&A with Trevor Croft

Written by: The DHS Program

06 Apr, 2017

Name:  Trevor Croft Position title: Technical Director/Capacity Strengthening Technical Coordinator (way too much and doesn’t really capture what I do). Languages spoken: French (not great, but workable), Spanish (pretty weak, but I have worked in Spanish speaking countries), a smattering of Russian (when I worked in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia), and a few words […]


7 Tips to Matching DHS Final Report Tables

Written by: The DHS Program

21 Mar, 2017

Feeling frustrated because you can’t match DHS Final Report tables in your statistical software?   Our new four-part video series shows the Top 7 Tips & Tricks for Matching DHS Final Report Tables. In this four-part video series, we will be covering the top 7 tips and tricks to matching The DHS Program Final Reports using […]


Spotlight on Implementing Agencies: Madagascar

Written by: The DHS Program

01 Mar, 2017
De gauche à droite: José Miguel Guzmán, Louise Ranaivo, Victor Rabeza Rafaralahy, Irène Hanitra Ranaivoarison, and Marius Randriamanambintsoa

De gauche à droite: José Miguel Guzmán, Louise Ranaivo, Victor Rabeza Rafaralahy, Irène Hanitra Ranaivoarison, and Marius Randriamanambintsoa In January 2017, The DHS Program welcomed visitors from Madagascar. This post is one in a series of interviews with visitors to DHS headquarters. Don’t read French? You can use the translate feature at the top of the page! Nom, titre et organisation : Louise […]


Where Statistics are Beautiful

Written by: Sunita Kishor

10 Feb, 2017

Hans Rosling created a world where “statistics are beautiful” and data are entertaining. The staff at The DHS Program have always believed these things to be true but found it difficult to convince the masses. And then came Gapminder and the juggernaut of Hans Rosling’s charismatic, informative, and perspective-changing data presentations. The DHS Program was heartbroken […]


Update: Downloadable Citations for DHS Final Survey Reports Now Available

Written by: The DHS Program

08 Feb, 2017

Is this how you look when you’re compiling your references? via GIPHY A recent DHS comparative report included references to 52 Demographic and Health Surveys.  You could spend hours entering bibliographic information, or you can download the citations directly into your reference software. In 2015, The DHS Program announced the availability of downloadable citations for […]


A New DHS Questionnaire: Interviewing Fieldworkers

Written by: The DHS Program

25 Jan, 2017

There’s a new survey in town. But it’s probably not what you expect. For 30 years, The DHS Program has trained thousands of fieldworkers to conduct over 300 surveys – but who are these fieldworkers? It is well documented that interviewers affect the quality of the data being collected, for example, in the areas of […]


Anthropometry measurement (height and weight) is a core component of DHS surveys that is used to generate indicators on nutritional status. The Biomarker Questionnaire now includes questions on clothing and hairstyle interference on measurements for both women and children for improved interpretation.