New Year. New Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Same Reliable, Accessible, Comparable Data.

Written by: The DHS Program

14 Jan, 2026

We proudly announce the continuation and revitalization of The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program! Our mission remains steadfast: to deliver high-quality, accessible, and actionable data that inform health and development efforts locally and globally. Let’s Work Together If you are with a Ministry of Health or National Statistics Office and are interested in fielding […]

Mentored Papers: Diving Deeper into DHS Program Data

Written by: The DHS Program

20 Nov, 2024

The DHS Program collects and disseminates population, health, and nutrition data, but did you know The DHS Program also helps people access and use data? Stronger analytical capacity will enhance evidence-based decision making in countries worldwide. The DHS Program provides a variety of capacity strengthening opportunities, from open self-guided online courses on the DHS Program […]

Reflections from the 2024 DHS Fellows Program

Written by: The DHS Program

30 Oct, 2024

In 2024, five teams of two university faculty members became the newest cohort of DHS Fellows. They worked directly with DHS Program researchers to strengthen their analytical skills, write working papers using DHS Program data, prepare presentations to share their findings with policy makers, and improve their use of DHS Program data in the classroom […]

New in DHS-8: Updates to Postnatal Care (PNC) Indicators

Written by: The DHS Program

16 Oct, 2024

The days and weeks following childbirth are the postnatal period, a vulnerable phase in the lives of mothers and newborns. Postnatal care (PNC) refers to the care provided to the mother and newborn immediately after birth and during the first six weeks of life. DHS Program surveys collect information on three key components of PNC: […]

Hemoglobin Collection at The DHS Program: Impact of Updated WHO Guidelines on DHS Program Anemia Data

Written by: The DHS Program

18 Sep, 2024

Anemia occurs when there are not enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues in the body. Anemia is estimated to affect more than 250 million children under age 5 and more than half a billion women of reproductive age worldwide. When severe, anemia can lead to impaired cognitive and motor development in […]

Harmonized Malaria Indicator Survey Data Now Available through IPUMS DHS

Written by: The DHS Program

20 Aug, 2024

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.3 aims to end epidemics including malaria. The WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016-2030 sets targets to: DHS Program data are essential for monitoring malaria prevalence, for example through diagnostic blood testing of children under age 5. The DHS Program also frequently collects information on malaria prevention measures such […]

Luminare: Piloting the Revised SPA

Written by: The DHS Program

17 Jul, 2024

The Service Provision Assessment (SPA) is a health facility-based survey that was recently revised to address the increasing need for data about the quality of care in health facilities. The new SPA collects information on available health services as well as Quality of Care (QoC) measures that assess both structural and process quality. Structural quality […]

Announcing the latest IPUMS DHS Research Awards!

Written by: The DHS Program

13 Jun, 2024

IPUMS DHS recently selected the 2023 winners of its Best Published Paper and Best Student Paper awards. Using source data from the public use files of The DHS Program, IPUMS DHS has created variables with consistent names and codes across samples, displays variable availability and information about each variable on its website, and allows registered […]

New Menstruation Data for International Menstrual Hygiene Day

Written by: The DHS Program

28 May, 2024

Today, May 28, 2024, is the 10th anniversary of International Menstrual Hygiene Day. Living free of taboos and stigma about menstruation, and having access to quality menstrual products, accurate information and education, and privacy and cleanliness — these are not necessarily givens in many parts of the world. As of 2019, the DHS-8 woman’s questionnaire […]

New in DHS-8: Updates to Immunization Indicators

Written by: The DHS Program

29 Apr, 2024

In 2019, The DHS Program released updated questionnaires for the eighth phase of The DHS Program (DHS-8) to better meet existing and emerging data needs in global health. This “New in DHS-8” series draws attention to new indicators, changes made to existing indicators, and other things DHS Program data users should be aware of when […]