Scientists and researchers working in global health have called for the restoration of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program, which tracks health-related data in over 90 low- and middle-income countries.
In its 40-year history, the initiative has produced nearly 2,000 datasets upon which more than 300 reports and 6,000 peer-reviewed academic papers have been based. For the many organizations that rely on it, “its absence creates a vacuum in the infrastructure of evidence-based development,” according to the Data-Pop Alliance.
The DHS program, which is funded by the USAID, has been caught up in the U.S. foreign aid cuts ordered in January by the Trump administration. A red banner atop its website reads, “Due to the on-going review of US foreign assistance programs, The DHS Program is currently on pause. We are unable to respond to any data or other requests at this time. We ask for your patience.”
This is a blow to African journalists like award-winning health journalist Henry Mugenyi who works for NBS Television in Uganda. “DHS is one of the few consistent, credible, and publicly accessible data sources we have that journalists, researchers, and civil society can rely on,” he said. “Without it, we lose a vital baseline especially for accountability journalism around Uganda’s commitments to [sustainable development goals] or universal health coverage.”
Understanding the DHS initiative
Launched by USAID in 1984, the DHS Program conducted its first national survey in El Salvador a year later, collecting data on fertility, child mortality, and family planning as an expansion of the World Fertility Survey.
Building off this initial survey, the DHS focused at first on collecting data around women and children’s health, on issues such as contraception, pregnancy and postnatal care, child immunization, and more. Over the years, survey questions about spousal violence, men’s health, attitudes and behaviors, female genital mutilation and HIV knowledge were added.
The program pioneered a new arm of research around women’s empowerment, while also serving as a platform to test different survey and measurement approaches. Researchers, policymakers and journalists have come to rely on the DHS surveys of its target countries, which it conducts roughly every five years, and in collaboration with in-country statistical bodies.
Governments have used the survey data to pinpoint areas of concern and establish national programs to tackle them. For example, Tanzania’s most recent Health Sector Strategic Plan cites the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS 48 times regarding data it provides on birth rate, contraceptive use and malaria parasite prevalence in children under five, while also making mention of the anticipated 2026 TDHS to continue in their planning efforts.
The fallout
The Trump administration officially terminated the DHS program in late February, “for the convenience of the U.S. Government.” According to the Brookings Institution, the termination placed a series of ongoing surveys in jeopardy of being lost or never released to the public:
- Countries that had their latest survey round disrupted: Angola, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Indonesia, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
- Countries whose surveys were near completion: Indonesia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe
- Countries whose latest survey is ready but has not yet been released publicly: Mali and Tajikistan
- Countries where smaller specialized surveys were being carried out (i.e. the malaria indicator survey and the health service provision assessment): Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda and Nepal
Consequences for African journalists
Journalists carry out a key function in disseminating information from the DHS survey reports. They identify key trends, anomalies and improvements in healthcare indicators, highlighting them in news coverage that reaches the average citizen. They also frequently use the survey reports to support their fact-checking.
Following the release of the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, journalists reported on Kenya’s falling fertility rate. In 2024, journalist Mustapha K. Darboe debunked the claim that female genital mutilation does not exist in The Gambia after lawmakers in the country put forth a bill decriminalizing the practice. According to the 2019-20 Gambia Demographic and Health Survey, nearly five in 10 girls under the age of 14, and more than seven in 10 women ages 15-49, in The Gambia have undergone female genital mutilation. The bill was later rejected.
Mugenyi has used DHS data extensively in his reporting, especially on maternal health, HIV prevalence, child nutrition, and family planning access in Uganda. “One piece that stands out is a 2023 feature I did on rural maternal mortality,” he said. “DHS figures helped show district-level disparities in antenatal care and skilled birth attendance and it gave the story weight when speaking to policymakers and NGOs. Without that data, it would’ve been hard to prove the scale of inequality in health access beyond anecdotes.”
Another Ugandan journalist, Edris Kiggundu, the CEO of Bbeg Media, has relied on the DHS surveys due to its comprehensive coverage of all geographical areas in the country. “Discontinuing it would affect one of the key sources of information for journalists who cover socio-economic issues,” he said. Yusef Taylor, editor at the Gambian news outlet, Askanwi Media, shared similar sentiments. “If the DHS Program is paused and The Gambia loses funding to conduct such surveys it will significantly impact our reporting as we will not be able to provide reliable data on employment, population and other critical issues.”
Alternative data sources
Although the DHS runs the most comprehensive surveys of its kind, journalists can consult data collected by the following organizations that carry out similar research:
- National statistics organizations like the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, South Africa’s StatsSA, the Ghana Statistical Service, among others.
- World Bank data portals
- U.N. agencies, especially the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys
Additionally, I’ve put together a comprehensive compilation of more data resources which can be found here.
Photo by Laura James via Pexels.
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