International Health Survey Data Used Worldwide
From India to Tanzania and Haiti to Mali, findings from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) project play a critical role in policy decisions on health and family planning. This data, which Macro collects, analyzes, and disseminates on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is used to design national programs and serves as the foundation for advocacy efforts.

Close to 200 surveys have been conducted in more than 70 countries over the past 20 years, giving policymakers meaningful data for decision making. For example, the Prime Minister of India prominently cited DHS results for developing a major new program to eradicate hunger. The Government of Gujarat State reoriented its nutrition programs to include younger children, based on DHS findings on malnutrition in very young children.

DHS data is available at http://www.measuredhs.com/, which features data and reports on all national surveys; data on nutrition, education, family planning decisions, and women’s opportunities; and biomarkers, such as HIV incidence. At the local level, survey findings are published in a variety of ways depending on the needs of country audiences. Methods include print materials, seminars and trainings, audiovisual materials, electronic access to DHS data, media events and PSAs, and other channels of communication that reach program planners, policymakers, non-government organizations, and other groups.