Service Provision Assessments Shed Light on Health Facility Readiness to Control COVID-19

Written by: The DHS Program

27 May, 2020

Are facilities prepared to face infectious disease pandemics like COVID-19? A new fact sheet explores infection control and readiness in health facilities from seven Service Provision Assessments (SPA) conducted in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Nepal, Senegal, and Tanzania. The SPA collects information on the availability of different health services in a […]


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 […]


World Immunization Week 2020

Written by: The DHS Program

29 Apr, 2020

World Immunization Week is observed annually in the last week of April (April 24-30, 2020), to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Already, nearly 20 million children in the world are unvaccinated and under-vaccinated. Now, COVID-19 is disrupting the delivery of routine vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. […]


New on the Learning Hub: Interpreting Malaria Trends eLearning Course

Written by: The DHS Program

22 Apr, 2020

In honor of World Malaria Day, The DHS Program introduces a new open-access online course, Interpreting Trends in Malaria Indicators. The course is available on The DHS Program’s new online learning platform, the Learning Hub. Based on an in-person Malaria Indicator Trends Workshop developed by The DHS Program in 2017, this free, self-guided course takes […]


Data Should Drive COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries

Written by: The DHS Program

03 Apr, 2020

The current World Health Organization’s guidelines call for the public focus on handwashing, social distancing, communication with medical providers, and staying informed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. However, such guidance may be more aspirational than actionable for millions at risk of exposure to the virus in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as revealed […]


International Women’s Day 2020: Measuring Gender-related Power

Written by: The DHS Program

06 Mar, 2020

Five years since world leaders agreed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create a better world by 2030, this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights, challenges everyone to reflect on how a gender-equal world will be achieved. DHS data describe the status of women around the world. […]


Inside The DHS Program: Q&A with Gisèle Dunia

Written by: The DHS Program

25 Feb, 2020

Name: Gisèle Dunia Position title: Senior Advisor for Capacity Strengthening Languages spoken: French, English, Swahili, Lingala, and Haitian Creole When did you start at The DHS Program? March 2019 Favorite DHS survey cover: I prefer it when we have an image that represents the country. For example, the report for the 2007 Democratic Republic of […]


Luminare: Geospatial Modeling for Locally Available Data

Written by: Ben Mayala

11 Feb, 2020

Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) collect nationally representative data and data representative at the first subnational administrative level (ADMIN 1). The 2016 Ethiopia DHS was designed to produce representative estimates for nine regions and two administrative cities. The 2014 Kenya DHS produced estimates for eight regions (formerly provinces). In addition to national-level indicators, STATcompiler also […]


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.