The MEASURE Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Project is responsible for collecting and disseminating accurate, nationally representative data on health and population in developing countries. The project is implemented by Macro International, Inc. (now ICF International) and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with contributions from other donors such as UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, and UNAIDS.
The DHS is highly comparable to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and the technical teams developing and supporting the surveys are in close collaboration.
Since October 2003 Macro International has been partnering with four internationally experienced organizations to expand access to and use of the DHS data: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs; Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH); Blue Raster; CAMRIS International; and The Futures Institute.
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Since 1984, the MEASURE DHS Project has provided technical assistance to more than 260 demographic and health surveys in over 90 countries - advancing global understanding of health and population trends in developing countries. More specifically, the DHS surveys collect information on fertility and total fertility rate (TFR), reproductive health, maternal health, child health, immunization and survival, HIV/AIDS; maternal mortality, child mortality, malaria, and nutrition among women and children stunted. The strategic objective of MEASURE DHS is to improve and institutionalize the collection and use of data by host countries for program monitoring and evaluation and for policy development decisions.
MEASURE DHS is one of four components of the “Monitoring and Evaluation to Assess and Use Results” (MEASURE) effort begun in 1997. The other three MEASURE partner projects are MEASURE Evaluation, MEASURE U.S. Census Bureau-SCILS, and MEASURE CDC/DRH in cooperation with the CDC.
MEASURE DHS supports a range of data collection options:
MEASURE DHS works to put survey data into the hands of program managers, health care providers, policymakers, country leaders, researchers, members of the media, and others who can act to improve public health. MEASURE DHS distributes unrestricted survey data files for legitimate academic research at no cost.
Online databases include: STATcompiler, STATmapper, HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database, HIV Spatial Data Repository, HIVmapper, and Country QuickStats.
MEASURE DHS produces a variety of publications that provide country specific and comparative data on population, health, and nutrition in developing countries. Most publications are available online for download, but if an electronic version of the publication is not available, a hard copy may be available.
The MEASURE DHS Project has been active in over 90 countries in Africa, Asia, Central Asia; West Asia; and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. A list of the publications for each country is available online at the Measure DHS web site.[1]
The MEASURE DHS Project has been active in the following countries:
Since 2001, MEASURE DHS has helped more than 15 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and Caribbean conduct population-based HIV testing. By collecting blood for HIV testing from representative samples of the population of men and women in a country, MEASURE DHS can provide nationally representative estimates of HIV rates. The testing protocol provides for anonymous, informed, and voluntary testing of women and men.
The project also collects data on internationally recognized AIDS indicators. Currently, the main sources of HIV/AIDS indicators in the database are the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), the Reproductive Health Surveys (RHS), the Sexual Behavior Surveys (SBS), and Behavioral Surveillance Surveys (BSS).[2] Eventually it will cover all countries for which indicators are available. Finally, the project also collects data on the capacity of health care facilities to deliver HIV prevention and treatment services.
Since 2000, DHS (and some AIS) surveys have collected data on ownership and use of mosquito nets, treatment of fever in children, and intermittent preventive treatment of pregnant women. In recent years, additional questions on indoor residual spraying, as well as biomarker testing for anemia and malaria have been conducted.
The MEASURE DHS program is a major source of gender data, research and training for integrating gender into population, health and nutrition programs and HIV/AIDS-related activities in the developing world. Gender is a fundamental dimension of societal stratification. MEASURE DHS underscores the importance of providing accurate and useful data on gender and emphasizes the need to identify and develop meaningful indicators of gender relations and women's empowerment.
Questions on gender roles and empowerment are integrated into most DHS questionnaires. For countries interested in more in-depth data on gender, modules of questions are available on special topics such as status of women, domestic violence, and female genital cutting.
MEASURE DHS has interviewed thousands of young people and gathered valuable information about their education, employment, media exposure, nutrition, sexual activity, fertility, unions, and general reproductive health, including HIV prevalence. The Youth Corner in the MEASURE DHS website presents findings about youth and features in-depth profiles of young adults ages 15–24 from more than 30 countries worldwide.[3] The Youth Corner is part of the broader effort by the Interagency Youth Working Group (IYWG) to help program managers, donors, national and local governments, teachers, religious leaders, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) plan and implement strong, relevant programs to improve the reproductive health of young adults.[4]
Geographic location affects peoples’ health, nutrition, and access to health care services. The MEASURE DHS project can now analyze the impact of location using DHS data and geographic information systems (GIS). MEASURE DHS routinely collects geographic information in all surveyed countries. Using GIS, researchers can link DHS data with routine health data, health facility locations, local infrastructure such as roads and rivers, and environmental conditions.
MEASURE DHS is a recognized leader in training local interviewers to collect geographic information. The GPS data collection standards and manual prepared by MEASURE DHS are now being used for the World Bank’s Living Standards and Measurement studies and the World Health Organization’s World Health Surveys. UNICEF has also adapted the DHS manual for their Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in the upcoming round of data collection.
Now, using field-friendly technologies, MEASURE DHS is able to collect biomarker data relating to a wide range of conditions and infections. DHS surveys have tested for anemia (by measuring hemoglobin), HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and the herpes simplex virus, serum retinol (Vitamin A), lead exposure, high blood pressure, and immunity from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and tetanus. Traditionally, much of the data gathered in DHS surveys is self-reported. Biomarkers complement this information by providing an objective profile of a specific disease or health condition in a population. Biomarker data also contribute to the understanding of behavioral risk factors and determinants of different illnesses.