DHS in the News - COVID-19

Journalists worldwide write about The DHS Program results. The dissemination of DHS, SPA and HIV data is often widely covered by media in survey countries, but journalists also use The DHS Program data throughout the year as background information for their stories, or to compare health and development indicators across countries. These data are also used by journalists in the United States and other developed countries, as it is considered the gold standard of population, health and nutrition data. Below are some examples of recent news coverage. Please note: The links below are to websites outside The DHS Program.

May 15, 2020
United Nations COVID-19 Emergency Appeal Zambia

United Nations OCHA, UN Country Team in Zambia
Lusaka, Zambia

...According to 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) more than 36 per cent of Zambia’s population lacked access to safe water and more than 67 per cent lacked access to basic sanitation. An estimated 10 per cent of the population practiced open defecation while 76 per cent of households did not have access to a hand washing facility...

https://reliefweb.int/report/zambia/united-nations-covid-19-emergency-appeal-zambia-may-october-2020
May 05, 2020
The impact of Covid-19 on women and girls

Benazir Jatoi
The Express Tribune (PAKISTAN)

"...What is the indirect impact of Covid-19 on Pakistan’s women? Though legal frameworks ensure equality, structurally there is still deep-rooted discrimination and a power imbalance between women and men..."

According to the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS) 2017-18, about 97% of women did not inherit land or house; 1% of women inherited agricultural land and a house; less than 1% inherited non-agricultural plots or residential plots; 6% have and use a bank account (while 32% of men do so); 39% of women own a mobile phone (93% of men do); 7% use their mobile phone for financial transactions (21% of men do); 34% said decisions regarding visits to family or relatives were mainly made by their husbands...

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2214105/6-impact-covid-19-women-girls/
Apr 29, 2020
Use of the Demographic and Health Survey framework as a population surveillance strategy for COVID-19

SV Subramaniam and KS James (The Lancet Global Health Correspondence)

"...In the absence of universal testing, a random-sample-based population surveillance framework is urgently needed. We propose using the well established Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) framework as a solution to ascertain the true prevalence of COVID-19..."

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X%2820%2930213-8/fulltext#%20
Apr 16, 2020
4.6 million Nepalis are food-insecure and 10 percent have severe need

Shree Ram Subedi (My Republica, Nepal)

"...and 10 percent severely food-insecure, according the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey. Overall, households in rural areas —where food prices tend to be higher—are more likely to be food-insecure than people living in urban areas, according to the survey..."

https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/4-6-million-nepalis-are-food-insecure-and-10-have-severe-need/