DHS Program data are collected so they can be used to guide programs and policies to improve health and well-being. In addition to making DHS Program data publicly available free of charge, The DHS Program also provides tools to help data users better understand, interpret, and use DHS Program data. The recently released Guide to […]
Breastfeeding provides a range of benefits to children and their mothers. Benefits of breastfeeding include protecting children from disease, supporting their healthy growth and development, and reducing the risk of some cancers for mothers. Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding requires data to inform and drive action. The first week of August is World Breastfeeding Week. […]
USAID recently released the Framework for Preventing Child and Maternal Death 2023-2030, building on the achievements and lessons learned from the past decade to provide a roadmap for the future: a world where all women, newborns, and children survive, are healthy, and are able to develop and reach their full potential. The new Service Provision […]
July 11th is World Population Day. To celebrate, we are going back to basics with highlights from the main drivers of population change: births, deaths, and migration. How did The DHS Program evolve from the World Fertility Survey and how have we tracked the quality of fertility data over the last 50 years? What changes […]
Safe and sufficient quantities of drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene (WASH) are vital for human health and well-being. WASH indicators have been included in demographic and health surveys since The DHS Program was launched in 1984. WASH indicators have been updated for DHS-8 surveys to align with WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, […]
In response to interest from country-level stakeholders around the inclusion of sexual and gender minorities in DHS surveys, The DHS Program has been documenting the experiences of surveys that have included adaptations to account for and measure topics related to gender and sexual minorities. On March 28, 2023, The DHS Program held a webinar to […]
Yesterday marked the first day of the 54th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission. Chief statisticians from countries worldwide are gathering to advance better data for better lives. Since 1984, The DHS Program has helped over 90 countries conduct more than 400 surveys that provide nationally representative demographic, health, gender and nutrition data that […]
If you’ve watched this video on The DHS Program sampling procedures, you’re aware that calculating a sample size is based on many considerations. Samplers must balance data quality concerns, capacity of the implementing agency, and precision required with available funding and time for the survey. Getting the sample size right is important because “if you […]
Since 1984, The DHS Program has conducted 400+ surveys in 90+ countries. That is a lot of surveys and a lot of data! In the past, if a DHS Program data user wanted to reference a particular survey question, they would have to search the questionnaire in the back of the survey Final Report of […]