How Many Partners Does it Take to Run The DHS Program?

Written by: Erica Nybro

27 May, 2015

Most people don’t know just how many collaborating institutions are involved in the day-to-day implementation of The DHS Program.  ICF International is the prime contractor for The DHS Program.  But 20% of us who sit at ICF’s office in Rockville, Maryland, are actually employed by other partner organizations.  Who are these partners? Avenir Health (formerly the Futures Institute) specializes […]


Spotlight on Implementing Agencies: The Gambia

Written by: The DHS Program

06 May, 2015

Name(s):  Saikou Trawally, Alieu Saho, and Momodou L. Cham Country of origin:  The Gambia Position titles and organizations:  Officials of The Gambia Bureau of Statistics and National Population Commission Secretariat When not working, favorite place to visit:  Shopping sites, relatives and friends, and site seeing cultural centers. First time you worked with The DHS Program’s data: Momodou: […]


Kufa au Kupona (Fever Road)

Written by: Laurie Liskin

22 Apr, 2015

Malaria kills more than 500,000 Africans every year.  Consistent use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), early diagnosis and treatment, and prophylactic use of antimalarials during pregnancy can save thousands of lives. But according to the 2011-12 Tanzania HIV and Malaria Indicator Survey (THMIS), many families are not practicing these life saving measures. To get the […]


Getting data to you faster: The Key Indicators Report

Written by: Erica Nybro

19 Mar, 2015

In 2006 I was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, preparing for the release of the 2005 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). In the days leading up to the national seminar and launch of the EDHS report, two separate individuals approached me at my hotel, both looking for an “advance copy” of the report. One was writing a […]


Training the Next Generation of DHS Program Biomarker Consultants

Written by: The DHS Program

10 Mar, 2015

In January, 2015, 11 biomarker specialists from 8 countries met in Uganda to participate in the first-ever South-to-South DHS Program Biomarker Workshop. Participants all had previous experience with DHS surveys, either as consultants or as in-country staff. The objectives of the training were to emphasize mastery of technical biomarker content and training materials, strengthen consultants […]


Spotlight on New Staff: Shireen Assaf

Written by: The DHS Program

22 Jan, 2015

This part of a series of posts introducing readers to new staff at The DHS Program. Welcome,! Name:  Position title:  Senior Research Associate Languages spoken: English, Arabic and basic Italian When not working, favorite place to visit:  Lebanon and Italy Favorite type of cuisine: Mediterranean food (especially Middle-Eastern and Italian) but I also love Thai and […]


Harnessing Technology to Streamline Data Collection

Written by: The DHS Program

13 Jan, 2015

By Guillermo Rojas The survey process at The DHS Program takes an average of 18-20 months and goes through several steps: survey preparation and questionnaire design, training and fieldwork, data processing, and finally, writing the final report and dissemination. But how do the data get from respondents’ households into the tables you see in the […]


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.