Number of victims of spousal homicide, Canada and regions, 1997 to 2023.

The goal of the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study (CWHRS) was to develop a reliable and validated profile of risk factors directly related to lethal or life-threatening outcomes in intimate partner violence, for use in agencies and organizations working to help women in abusive relationships. Data were collected to draw comparisons between abused women in situations resulting in fatal outcomes and those without fatal outcomes, as well as a baseline comparison of abused women and non-abused women, taking into account the interaction of events, circumstances, and interventions occurring over the course of a year or two. The CWHRS used a quasi-experimental design to gather survey data on 705 women at the point of service for any kind of treatment (related to abuse or not) sought at one of four medical sites serving populations in areas with high rates of intimate partner homicide (Chicago Women's Health Center, Cook County Hospital, Erie Family Health Center, and Roseland Public Health Center). Over 2,600 women were randomly screened in these settings, following strict protocols for safety and privacy. One goal of the design was that the sample would not systematically exclude high-risk but understudied populations, such as expectant mothers, women without regular sources of health care, and abused women in situations where the abuse is unknown to helping agencies. To accomplish this, the study used sensitive contact and interview procedures, developed sensitive instruments, and worked closely with each sample site. The CWHRS attempted to interview all women who answered "yes -- within the past year" to any of the three screening questions, and about 30 percent of women who did not answer yes, provided that the women were over age 17 and had been in an intimate relationship in the past year. In total, 705 women were interviewed, 497 of whom reported that they had experienced physical violence or a violent threat at the hands of an intimate partner in the past year (the abused, or AW, group). The remaining 208 women formed the comparison group (the non-abused, or NAW, group). Data from the initial interview sections comprise Parts 1-8. For some women, the AW versus NAW interview status was not the same as their screening status. When a woman told the interviewer that she had experienced violence or a violent threat in the past year, she and the interviewer completed a daily calendar history, including details of important events and each violent incident that had occurred the previous year. The study attempted to conduct one or two follow-up interviews over the following year with the 497 women categorized as AW. The follow-up rate was 66 percent. Data from this part of the clinic/hospital sample are found in Parts 9-12. In addition to the clinic/hospital sample, the CWHRS collected data on each of the 87 intimate partner homicides occurring in Chicago over a two-year period that involved at least one woman age 18 or older. Using the same interview schedule as for the clinic/hospital sample, CWHRS interviewers conducted personal interviews with one to three "proxy respondents" per case, people who were knowledgeable and credible sources of information about the couple and their relationship, and information was compiled from official or public records, such as court records, witness statements, and newspaper accounts (Parts 13-15). In homicides in which a woman was the homicide offender, attempts were made to contact and interview her. This "lethal" sample, all such homicides that took place in 1995 or 1996, was developed from two sources, HOMICIDES IN CHICAGO, 1965-1995 (ICPSR 6399) and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Part 1 includes demographic variables describing each respondent, such as age, race and ethnicity, level of education, employment status, screening status (AW or NAW), birthplace, and marital status. Variables in Part 2 include details about the woman's household, such as whether she was homeless, the number of people living in the household and details about each person, the number of her children or other children in the household, details of any of her children not living in her household, and any changes in the household structure over the past year. Variables in Part 3 deal with the woman's physical and mental health, including pregnancy, and with her social support network and material resources. Variables in Part 4 provide information on the number and type of firearms in the household, whether the woman had experienced power, control, stalking, or harassment at the hands of an intimate partner in the past year, whether she had experienced specific types of violence or violent threats at the hands of an intimate partner in the past year, and whether she had experienced symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related to the incidents in the past month. Variables in Part 5 specify the partner or partners who were responsible for the incidents in the past year, record the type and length of the woman's relationship with each of these partners, and provide detailed information on the one partner she chose to talk about (called "Name"). Variables in Part 6 probe the woman's help-seeking and interventions in the past year. Variables in Part 7 include questions comprising the Campbell Danger Assessment (Campbell, 1993). Part 8 assembles variables pertaining to the chosen abusive partner (Name). Part 9, an event-level file, includes the type and the date of each event the woman discussed in a 12-month retrospective calendar history. Part 10, an incident-level file, includes variables describing each violent incident or threat of violence. There is a unique identifier linking each woman to her set of events or incidents. Part 11 is a person-level file in which the incidents in Part 10 have been aggregated into totals for each woman. Variables in Part 11 include, for example, the total number of incidents during the year, the number of days before the interview that the most recent incident had occurred, and the severity of the most severe incident in the past year. Part 12 is a person-level file that summarizes incident information from the follow-up interviews, including the number of abuse incidents from the initial interview to the last follow-up, the number of days between the initial interview and the last follow-up, and the maximum severity of any follow-up incident. Parts 1-12 contain a unique identifier variable that allows users to link each respondent across files. Parts 13-15 contain data from official records sources and information supplied by proxies for victims of intimate partner homicides in 1995 and 1996 in Chicago. Part 13 contains information about the homicide incidents from the "lethal sample," along with outcomes of the court cases (if any) from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. Variables for Part 13 include the number of victims killed in the incident, the month and year of the incident, the gender, race, and age of both the victim and offender, who initiated the violence, the severity of any other violence immediately preceding the death, if leaving the relationship triggered the final incident, whether either partner was invading the other's home at the time of the incident, whether jealousy or infidelity was an issue in the final incident, whether there was drug or alcohol use noted by witnesses, the predominant motive of the homicide, location of the homicide, relationship of victim to offender, type of weapon used, whether the offender committed suicide after the homicide, whether any criminal charges were filed, and the type of disposition and length of sentence for that charge. Parts 14 and 15 contain data collected using the proxy interview questionnaire (or the interview of the woman offender, if applicable). The questionnaire used for Part 14 was identical to the one used in the clinic sample, except for some extra questions about the homicide incident. The data include only those 76 cases for which at least one interview was conducted. Most variables in Part 14 pertain to the victim or the offender, regardless of gender (unless otherwise labeled). For ease of analysis, Part 15 includes the same 76 cases as Part 14, but the variables are organized from the woman's point of view, regardless of whether she was the victim or offender in the homicide (for the same-sex cases, Part 15 is from the woman victim's point of view). Parts 14 and 15 can be linked by ID number. However, Part 14 includes five sets of variables that were asked only from the woman's perspective in the original questionnaire: household composition, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), social support network, personal income (as opposed to household income), and help-seeking and intervention. To avoid redundancy, these variables appear only in Part 14. Other variables in Part 14 cover information about the person(s) interviewed, the victim's and offender's age, sex, race/ethnicity, birthplace, employment status at time of death, and level of education, a scale of the victim's and offender's severity of physical abuse in the year prior to the death, the length of the relationship between victim and offender, the number of children belonging to each partner, whether either partner tried to leave and/or asked the other to stay away, the reasons why each partner tried to leave, the longest amount of time each partner stayed away, whether either or both partners returned to the relationship before the death, any known physical or emotional problems sustained by victim or offender, including the four-item Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) scale of depression, drug and alcohol use of the victim and offender, number and type of guns in the household of the victim and offender, Scales of Power and Control (Johnson, 1996) or Stalking and Harassment (Sheridan, 1992) by either intimate partner in the year prior to the death, a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS)

Women killed by gender violence at the hands of their partner or ex-partner according to nationalities in the Canary Islands according to years.

Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales on the prevalence and nature of partner abuse.

Domestic abuse numbers, prevalence, types and victim characteristics, based upon findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales and police recorded crime.

United Kingdom UK: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 0.874 Ratio in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.776 Ratio for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 0.825 Ratio from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.115 Ratio in 2007 and a record low of 0.599 Ratio in 2011. United Kingdom UK: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, female are estimates of unlawful female homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

Cervical Cancer Risk Factors for Biopsy: This Dataset is Obtained from UCI Repository and kindly acknowledged! This file contains a List of Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer leading to a Biopsy Examination! About 11,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S. However, the number of new cervical cancer cases has been declining steadily over the past decades. Although it is the most preventable type of cancer, each year cervical cancer kills about 4,000 women in the U.S. and about 300,000 women worldwide. In the United States, cervical cancer mortality rates plunged by 74% from 1955 - 1992 thanks to increased screening and early detection with the Pap test. AGE Fifty percent of cervical cancer diagnoses occur in women ages 35 - 54, and about 20% occur in women over 65 years of age. The median age of diagnosis is 48 years. About 15% of women develop cervical cancer between the ages of 20 - 30. Cervical cancer is extremely rare in women younger than age 20. However, many young women become infected with multiple types of human papilloma virus, which then can increase their risk of getting cervical cancer in the future. Young women with early abnormal changes who do not have regular examinations are at high risk for localized cancer by the time they are age 40, and for invasive cancer by age 50. SOCIOECONOMIC AND ETHNIC FACTORS Although the rate of cervical cancer has declined among both Caucasian and African-American women over the past decades, it remains much more prevalent in African-Americans -- whose death rates are twice as high as Caucasian women. Hispanic American women have more than twice the risk of invasive cervical cancer as Caucasian women, also due to a lower rate of screening. These differences, however, are almost certainly due to social and economic differences. Numerous studies report that high poverty levels are linked with low screening rates. In addition, lack of health insurance, limited transportation, and language difficulties hinder a poor woman’s access to screening services. HIGH SEXUAL ACTIVITY Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. In adults, the most important risk factor for HPV is sexual activity with an infected person. Women most at risk for cervical cancer are those with a history of multiple sexual partners, sexual intercourse at age 17 years or younger, or both. A woman who has never been sexually active has a very low risk for developing cervical cancer. Sexual activity with multiple partners increases the likelihood of many other sexually transmitted infections (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis).Studies have found an association between chlamydia and cervical cancer risk, including the possibility that chlamydia may prolong HPV infection. FAMILY HISTORY Women have a higher risk of cervical cancer if they have a first-degree relative (mother, sister) who has had cervical cancer. USE OF ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES Studies have reported a strong association between cervical cancer and long-term use of oral contraception (OC). Women who take birth control pills for more than 5 - 10 years appear to have a much higher risk HPV infection (up to four times higher) than those who do not use OCs. (Women taking OCs for fewer than 5 years do not have a significantly higher risk.) The reasons for this risk from OC use are not entirely clear. Women who use OCs may be less likely to use a diaphragm, condoms, or other methods that offer some protection against sexual transmitted diseases, including HPV. Some research also suggests that the hormones in OCs might help the virus enter the genetic material of cervical cells. HAVING MANY CHILDREN Studies indicate that having many children increases the risk for developing cervical cancer, particularly in women infected with HPV. SMOKING Smoking is associated with a higher risk for precancerous changes (dysplasia) in the cervix and for progression to invasive cervical cancer, especially for women infected with HPV. IMMUNOSUPPRESSION Women with weak immune systems, (such as those with HIV / AIDS), are more susceptible to acquiring HPV. Immunocompromised patients are also at higher risk for having cervical precancer develop rapidly into invasive cancer. DIETHYLSTILBESTROL (DES) From 1938 - 1971, diethylstilbestrol (DES), an estrogen-related drug, was widely prescribed to pregnant women to help prevent miscarriages. The daughters of these women face a higher risk for cervical cancer. DES is no longer prsecribed.

Namibia NA: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 3.476 Ratio in 2012. Namibia NA: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 3.476 Ratio from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2012, with 1 observations. Namibia NA: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Namibia – Table NA.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, female are estimates of unlawful female homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

Malawi MW: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data was reported at 0.770 Ratio in 2012. Malawi MW: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data is updated yearly, averaging 0.770 Ratio from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2012, with 1 observations. Malawi MW: Intentional Homicides: Female: per 100,000 Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Malawi – Table MW.World Bank: Health Statistics. Intentional homicides, female are estimates of unlawful female homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.; ; UN Office on Drugs and Crime's International Homicide Statistics database.; ;

The following table, produced by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) provides information on rates, trends and patterns in domestic violence incidents reported to, or detected by, the NSW Police Force for the period of 2017/18. The data has been aggregated to location following the 2018 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) edition of the Local Government Areas (LGAs). Domestic violence is a serious problem which impacts many NSW families. In 2012, an estimated 16.9 per cent of Australian women aged 18 years and over had experienced partner violence since the age of 15 years (ABS Personal Safety Survey 2012). Rate calculations should also be treated very cautiously for LGAs that have high visitor numbers relative to their residential population. This is because rate calculations are based on estimated residential population and no adjustment has been made for the number of people visiting each LGA per year. For the rate calculations, specialised population data were prepared and provided to BOCSAR by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). For more information please visit the BOSCAR Portal. Please note: AURIN has spatially enabled the original data. LGAs which have populations less than 3000 has been suppressed to maintain confidentiality. Original data values of "n.c." have been set to null.

The 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 8,531 women age 15-49 and 2,503 men age 15-54. The UDHS is the fourth comprehensive survey conducted in Uganda as part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) project. The primary purpose of the UDHS is to furnish policymakers and planners with detailed information on fertility; family planning; infant, child, adult, and maternal mortality; maternal and child health; nutrition; and knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. In addition, in one in three households selected for the survey, women age 15-49, men age 15-54, and children under age 5 years were weighed and their height was measured. Women, men, and children age 6-59 months in this subset of households were tested for anaemia, and women and children were tested for vitamin A deficiency. The 2006 UDHS is the first DHS survey in Uganda to cover the entire country. The 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) was designed to provide information on demographic, health, and family planning status and trends in the country. Specifically, the UDHS collected information on fertility levels, marriage, sexual activity, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, and breastfeeding practices. In addition, data were collected on the nutritional status of mothers and young children; infant, child, adult, and maternal mortality; maternal and child health; awareness and behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections; and levels of anaemia and vitamin A deficiency. The 2006 UDHS is a follow-up to the 1988-1989, 1995, and 2000-2001 UDHS surveys, which were also implemented by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). The specific objectives of the 2006 UDHS are as follows: To collect data at the national level that will allow the calculation of demographic rates, particularly the fertility and infant mortality rates To analyse the direct and indirect factors that determine the level and trends in fertility and mortality To measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice of women and men by method, by urban-rural residence, and by region To collect data on knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, and to evaluate patterns of recent behaviour regarding condom use To assess the nutritional status of children under age five and women by means of anthropometric measurements (weight and height), and to assess child feeding practices To collect data on family health, including immunizations, prevalence and treatment of diarrhoea and other diseases among children under five, antenatal visits, assistance at delivery, and breastfeeding To measure vitamin A deficiency in women and children, and to measure anaemia in women, men, and children To measure key education indicators including school attendance ratios and primary school grade repetition and dropout rates To collect information on the extent of disability To collect information on the extent of gender-based violence. MAIN RESULTS Fertility : Survey results indicate that the total fertility rate (TFR) for the country is 6.7 births per woman. The TFR in urban areas is much lower than in the rural areas (4.4 and 7.1 children, respectively). Kampala, whose TFR is 3.7, has the lowest fertility. Fertility rates in Central 1, Central 2, and Southwest regions are also lower than the national level. Removing four districts from the 2006 data that were not covered in the 20002001 UDHS, the 2006 TFR is 6.5 births per woman, compared with 6.9 from the 2000-2001 UDHS. Education and wealth have a marked effect on fertility, with uneducated mothers having about three more children on average than women with at least some secondary education and women in the lowest wealth quintile having almost twice as many children as women in the highest wealth quintile. Family planning : Overall, knowledge of family planning has remained consistently high in Uganda over the past five years, with 97 percent of all women and 98 percent of all men age 15-49 having heard of at least one method of contraception. Pills, injectables, and condoms are the most widely known modern methods among both women and men. Maternal health : Ninety-four percent of women who had a live birth in the five years preceding the survey received antenatal care from a skilled health professional for their last birth. These results are comparable to the 2000-2001 UDHS. Only 47 percent of women make four or more antenatal care visits during their entire pregnancy, an improvement from 42 percent in the 2000-2001 UDHS. The median duration of pregnancy for the first antenatal visit is 5.5 months, indicating that Ugandan women start antenatal care at a relatively late stage in pregnancy. Child health : Forty-six percent of children age 12-23 months have been fully vaccinated. Over nine in ten (91 percent) have received the BCG vaccination, and 68 percent have been vaccinated against measles. The coverage for the first doses of DPT and polio is relatively high (90 percent for each). However, only 64 percent go on to receive the third dose of DPT, and only 59 percent receive their third dose of polio vaccine. There are notable improvements in vaccination coverage since the 2000-2001 UDHS. The percentage of children age 12-23 months fully vaccinated at the time of the survey increased from 37 percent in 2000-2001 to 44 percent in 2006. The percentage who had received none of the six basic vaccinations decreased from 13 percent in 2000-2001 to 8 percent in 2006. Malaria : The 2006 UDHS gathered information on the use of mosquito nets, both treated and untreated. The data show that only 34 percent of households in Uganda own a mosquito net, with 16 percent of households owning an insecticide-treated net (ITN). Only 22 percent of children under five slept under a mosquito net on the night before the interview, while a mere 10 percent slept under an ITN. Breastfeeding and nutrition : In Uganda, almost all children are breastfed at some point. However, only six in ten children under the age of 6 months are exclusively breast-fed. HIV/AIDS AND stis : Knowledge of AIDS is very high and widespread in Uganda. In terms of HIV prevention strategies, women and men are most aware that the chances of getting the AIDS virus can be reduced by limiting sex to one uninfected partner who has no other partners (89 percent of women and 95 percent of men) or by abstaining from sexual intercourse (86 percent of women and 93 percent of men). Knowledge of condoms and the role they can play in preventing transmission of the AIDS virus is not quite as high (70 percent of women and 84 percent of men). Orphanhood and vulnerability : Almost one in seven children under age 18 is orphaned (15 percent), that is, one or both parents are dead. Only 3 percent of children under the age of 18 have lost both biological parents. Women's status and gender violence : Data for the 2006 UDHS show that women in Uganda are generally less educated than men. Although the gender gap has narrowed in recent years, 19 percent of women age 15-49 have never been to school, compared with only 5 percent of men in the same age group. Mortality : At current mortality levels, one in every 13 Ugandan children dies before reaching age one, while one in every seven does not survive to the fifth birthday. After removing districts not covered in the 2000-2001 UDHS from the 2006 data, findings show that infant mortality has declined from 89 deaths per 1,000 live births in the 2000-2001 UDHS to 75 in the 2006 UDHS. Under-five mortality has declined from 158 deaths per 1,000 live births to 137.

This three-year ESCR-funded project aimed to address important gaps in knowledge of domestic homicide. Domestic homicide is both a global and a domestic problem that disproportionately affects women. Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) were introduced as a statutory requirement in England and Wales in 2011 to review the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect perpetrated by an intimate ex/partner, relative, or member of the same household (Home Office, 2016). The project aimed to learn from the experiences of families who had lost a relative to domestic homicide; victims/survivors of domestic abuse; professionals, and domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) to document, analyse, map, and influence policy and practice to prevent future domestic homicides. To this end the research team conducted a systematic review of domestic homicide reviews internationally to build knowledge about their focus, organisation and lessons identified in order to inform future developments of DHRs; analysed all publicly available DHRs to identify possible risk and contextual factors preceding the homicides and the recommendations made in DHRs to prevent future domestic homicides, and, explored the journeys of victim/survivors, families and agencies in relation to high risk domestic violence and domestic homicide to ensure policy and practice is cognisant of and learns from their experiences and to investigate good practice, lost opportunities for interventions and to identify areas for strengthening responses for the prevention of domestic homicides. The total archived dataset comprises quantitative and qualitative data: 1) an SPSS database containing data from the 302 DHRs. 2) The interview transcripts with family members (n=7) who had been bereaved by domestic homicide and survivors of domestic violence (n=10) and nineteen semi-structured, audio recorded interviews (9 in Wales, 10 in Lancashire) conducted with professionals who have worked with victims or been involved in DHRs, e.g. healthcare professionals, social workers, voluntary agency staff, police officers from the two identified CSP networks (Lancashire and Wales). These are also available in the form of three digital films here: https://domestichomicide-halt.co.uk/resource-center/

Learning from Domestic Homicide Reviews using Experience Based Co-Design, also known as Homicide Abuse Learning Together (HALT) was a three-year study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ES/S005471/2) and carried out by researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Central Lancashire and Liverpool John Moores University. The key aim was to enhance policy and practice by improving methods for implementing the recommendations of domestic homicide reviews. Domestic homicide is both a global and a domestic problem. Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) were introduced as a statutory requirement in England and Wales in 2011 to review the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect perpetrated by an intimate ex/partner, relative, or member of the same household (Home Office, 2016). The HALT project aimed to address important gaps in knowledge of domestic homicide and to learn from the experiences of families who had lost a relative to domestic homicide; victims/survivors of domestic abuse; professionals, and domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) to document, analyse, map, and influence policy and practice to prevent future domestic homicides. From our findings, we developed key themes that generated outputs including policy briefings, a series of films, a book of poetry based on the transcripts of survivor and family interviews. These are available at the resources page of the HALT project website here: https://domestichomicide-halt.co.uk/resource-center/

The Ukraine Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 6,841 women age 15-49 and 3,178 men age 15-49. Survey fieldwork was conducted during the period July through November 2007. The UDHS was conducted by the Ukrainian Center for Social Reforms in close collaboration with the State Statistical Committee of Ukraine. The MEASURE DHS Project provided technical support for the survey. The U.S. Agency for International Development/Kyiv Regional Mission to Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus provided funding. The survey is a nationally representative sample survey designed to provide information on population and health issues in Ukraine. The primary goal of the survey was to develop a single integrated set of demographic and health data for the population of the Ukraine. The UDHS was conducted from July to November 2007 by the Ukrainian Center for Social Reforms (UCSR) in close collaboration with the State Statistical Committee (SSC) of Ukraine, which provided organizational and methodological support. Macro International Inc. provided technical assistance for the survey through the MEASURE DHS project. USAID/Kyiv Regional Mission to Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus provided funding for the survey through the MEASURE DHS project. MEASURE DHS is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist countries worldwide in obtaining information on key population and health indicators. The 2007 UDHS collected national- and regional-level data on fertility and contraceptive use, maternal health, adult health and life style, infant and child mortality, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The survey obtained detailed information on these issues from women of reproductive age and, on certain topics, from men as well. The results of the 2007 UDHS are intended to provide the information needed to evaluate existing social programs and to design new strategies for improving the health of Ukrainians and health services for the people of Ukraine. The 2007 UDHS also contributes to the growing international database on demographic and health-related variables. MAIN RESULTS Fertility rates. A useful index of the level of fertility is the total fertility rate (TFR), which indicates the number of children a woman would have if she passed through the childbearing ages at the current age-specific fertility rates (ASFR). The TFR, estimated for the three-year period preceding the survey, is 1.2 children per woman. This is below replacement level. Contraception : Knowledge and ever use. Knowledge of contraception is widespread in Ukraine. Among married women, knowledge of at least one method is universal (99 percent). On average, married women reported knowledge of seven methods of contraception. Eighty-nine percent of married women have used a method of contraception at some time. Abortion rates. The use of abortion can be measured by the total abortion rate (TAR), which indicates the number of abortions a woman would have in her lifetime if she passed through her childbearing years at the current age-specific abortion rates. The UDHS estimate of the TAR indicates that a woman in Ukraine will have an average of 0.4 abortions during her lifetime. This rate is considerably lower than the comparable rate in the 1999 Ukraine Reproductive Health Survey (URHS) of 1.6. Despite this decline, among pregnancies ending in the three years preceding the survey, one in four pregnancies (25 percent) ended in an induced abortion. Antenatal care. Ukraine has a well-developed health system with an extensive infrastructure of facilities that provide maternal care services. Overall, the levels of antenatal care and delivery assistance are high. Virtually all mothers receive antenatal care from professional health providers (doctors, nurses, and midwives) with negligible differences between urban and rural areas. Seventy-five percent of pregnant women have six or more antenatal care visits; 27 percent have 15 or more ANC visits. The percentage is slightly higher in rural areas than in urban areas (78 percent compared with 73 percent). However, a smaller proportion of rural women than urban women have 15 or more antenatal care visits (23 percent and 29 percent, respectively). HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections : The currently low level of HIV infection in Ukraine provides a unique window of opportunity for early targeted interventions to prevent further spread of the disease. However, the increases in the cumulative incidence of HIV infection suggest that this window of opportunity is rapidly closing. Adult Health : The major causes of death in Ukraine are similar to those in industrialized countries (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and accidents), but there is also a rising incidence of certain infectious diseases, such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Women's status : Sixty-four percent of married women make decisions on their own about their own health care, 33 percent decide jointly with their husband/partner, and 1 percent say that their husband or someone else is the primary decisionmaker about the woman's own health care. Domestic Violence : Overall, 17 percent of women age 15-49 experienced some type of physical violence between age 15 and the time of the survey. Nine percent of all women experienced at least one episode of violence in the 12 months preceding the survey. One percent of the women said they had often been subjected to violent physical acts during the past year. Overall, the data indicate that husbands are the main perpetrators of physical violence against women. Human Trafficking : The UDHS collected information on respondents' awareness of human trafficking in Ukraine and, if applicable, knowledge about any household members who had been the victim of human trafficking during the three years preceding the survey. More than half (52 percent) of respondents to the household questionnaire reported that they had heard of a person experiencing this problem and 10 percent reported that they knew personally someone who had experienced human trafficking.

Stalking experienced by women and men, including numbers, type and personal characteristics, based upon annual findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

The Sudan Demographic and Health Survey (SDHS) was conducted in two phases between November 15, 1989 and May 21, 1990 by the Department of Statistics of the Ministry of Economic and National Planning. The survey collected information on fertility levels, marriage patterns, reproductive intentions, knowledge and use of contraception, maternal and child health, maternal mortality, and female circumcision. The survey findings provide the National Population Committee and the Ministry of Health with valuable information for use in evaluating population policy and planning public health programmes. A total of 5860 ever-married women age 15-49 were interviewed in six regions in northern Sudan; three regions in southern Sudan could not be included in the survey because of civil unrest in that part of the country. The SDHS provides data on fertility and mortality comparable to the 1978-79 Sudan Fertility Survey (SFS) and complements the information collected in the 1983 census. The primary objective of the SDHS was to provide data on fertility, nuptiality, family planning, fertility preferences, childhood mortality, indicators of maternal health care, and utilization of child health services. Additional information was coUected on educational level, literacy, source of household water, and other housing conditions. The SDHS is intended to serve as a source of demographic data for comparison with the 1983 census and the Sudan Fertility Survey (SFS) 1978-79, and to provide population and health data for policymakers and researchers. The objectives of the survey are to: assess the overall demographic situation in Sudan, assist in the evaluation of population and health programmes, assist the Department of Statistics in strengthening and improving its technical skills for conducting demographic and health surveys, enable the National Population Committee (NPC) to develop a population policy for the country, and measure changes in fertility and contraceptive prevalence, and study the factors which affect these changes, and examine the basic indicators of maternal and child health in Sudan. MAIN RESULTS Fertility levels and trends Fertility has declined sharply in Sudan, from an average of six children per women in the Sudan Fertility Survey (TFR 6.0) to five children in the Sudan DHS survey flTR 5.0). Women living in urban areas have lower fertility (TFR 4.1) than those in rural areas (5.6), and fertility is lower in the Khartoum and Northern regions than in other regions. The difference in fertility by education is particularly striking; at current rates, women who have attained secondary school education will have an average of 3.3 children compared with 5.9 children for women with no education, a difference of almost three children. Although fertility in Sudan is low compared with most sub-Saharan countries, the desire for children is strong. One in three currently married women wants to have another child within two years and the same proportion want another child in two or more years; only one in four married women wants to stop childbearing. The proportion of women who want no more children increases with family size and age. The average ideal family size, 5.9 children, exceeds the total fertility rate (5.0) by approximately one child. Older women are more likely to want large families than younger women, and women just beginning their families say they want to have about five children. Marriage Almost all Sudanese women marry during their lifetime. At the time of the survey, 55 percent of women 15-49 were currently married and 5 percent were widowed or divorced. Nearly one in five currently married women lives in a polygynous union (i.e., is married to a man who has more than one wife). The prevalence of polygyny is about the same in the SDHS as it was in the Sudan Fertility Survey. Marriage occurs at a fairly young age, although there is a trend toward later marriage among younger women (especially those with junior secondary or higher level of schooling). The proportion of women 15-49 who have never married is 12 percentage points higher in the SDHS than in the Sudan Fertiliy Survey. There has been a substantial increase in the average age at first marriage in Sudan. Among SDHS. Since age at first marriage is closely associated with fertility, it is likely that fertility will decrease in the future. With marriages occurring later, women am having their first birth at a later age. While one in three women age 45-49 had her first birth before age 18, only one in six women age 20-24 began childbearing prior to age 18. The women most likely to postpone marriage and childbearing are those who live in urban areas ur in the Khartoum and Northern regions, and women with pest-primary education. Breastfeeding and postpartum abstinence Breastfeeding and postpartum abstinence provide substantial protection from pregnancy after the birth uf a child. In addition to the health benefits to the child, breastfeeding prolongs the length of postpartum amenorrhea. In Sudan, almost all women breastfeed their children; 93 percent of children are still being breastfed 10-11 months after birth, and 41 percent continue breastfeeding for 20-21 months. Postpartum abstinence is traditional in Sudan and in the first two months following the birth of a child 90 percent of women were abstaining; this decreases to 32 percent after two months, and to 5 percent at~er one year. The survey results indicate that the combined effects of breastfeeding and postpartum abstinence protect women from pregnancy for an average of 15 months after the birth of a child. Knowledge and use of contraception Most currently married women (71 percent) know at least one method of family planning, and 59 percent know a source for a method. The pill (70 percent) is the most widely known method, followed by injection, female sterilisation, and the IUD. Only 39 percent of women knew a traditional method of family planning. Despite widespread knowledge of family planning, only about one-fourth of ever-married women have ever used a contraceptive method, and among currently married women, only 9 percent were using a method at the time of the survey (6 percent modem methods and 3 percent traditional methods). The level of contraceptive use while still low, has increased from less than 5 percent reported in the Sudan Fertility Survey. Use of family planning varies by age, residence, and level of education. Current use is less than 4 percent among women 15-19, increases to 10 percent for women 30-44, then decreases to 6 percent for women 45-49. Seventeen percent of urban women practice family planning compared with only 4 percent of rural women; and women with senior secondary education are more likely to practice family planning (26 percent) than women with no education (3 percent). There is widespread approval of family planning in Sudan. Almost two-thirds of currently married women who know a family planning method approve of the use of contraception. Husbands generally share their wives's views on family planning. Three-fourths of married women who were not using a contraceptive method at the time of the survey said they did not intend to use a method in the future. Communication between husbands and wives is important for successful family planning. Less than half of currently married women who know a contraceptive method said they had talked about family planning with their husbands in the year before the survey; one in four women discussed it once or twice; and one in five discussed it more than twice. Younger women and older women were less likely to discuss family planning than those age 20 to 39. Mortality among children The neonatal mortality rate in Sudan remained virtually unchanged in the decade between the SDHS and the SFS (44 deaths per 1000 births), but under-five mortality decreased by 14 percent (from 143 deaths per 1000 births to 123 per thousand). Under-five mortality is 19 percent lower in urban areas (117 per 1000 births) than in rural areas (144 per 10(30 births). The level of mother's education and the length of the preceding birth interval play important roles in child survival. Children of mothers with no education experience nearly twice the level of under-five mortality as children whose mother had attained senior secondary or nigher education. Mortality among children under five is 2.7 times higher among children born after an interval of less than 24 months than among children born after interval of 48 months or more. Maternal mortality The maternal mortality rate (maternal deaths per 1000 women years of exposure) has remained nearly constant over the twenty years preceding the survey, while the maternal mortality ratio (number of maternal deaths per 100,000 births), has increased (despite declining fertility). Using the direct method of estimation, the maternal mortality ratio is 352 maternal deaths per 100,000 births for the period 1976-82, and 552 per 100,000 births for the period 1983-89. The indirect estimate for the maternal mortality ratio is 537. The latter estimate is an average of women's experience over an extended period before the survey centred on 1977. Maternal health care The health care mothers receive during pregnancy and delivery is important to the survival and well-being of both children and mothers. The SDHS results indicate that most women in Sudan made at least one antenatal visit to a doctor or trained health worker/midwife. Eighty-seven percent of births benefitted from professional antenatal care in urban areas compared with 62 percent in rural areas. Although the proportion of pregnant mothers seen by trained health workers/midwives are similar in urban and rural areas, doctors provided antenatal care for 42 percent and 19 percent of births in urban and rural areas, respectively. Neonatal tetanus, a major cause of infant deaths in developing countries, can be prevented if mothers receive tetanus toxoid vaccinations.

The Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) was fielded on a national basis between the months of December 1990 and May 1991. The survey was carried out by the National Institute of Population Studies with the objective of assisting the Ministry of Population Welfare to evaluate the Population Welfare Programme and maternal and child health services. The PDHS is the latest in a series of surveys, making it possible to evaluate changes in the demographic status of the population and in health conditions nationwide. Earlier surveys include the Pakistan Contraceptive Prevalence Survey of 1984-85 and the Pakistan Fertility Survey of 1975. The primary objective of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) was to provide national- and provincial-level data on population and health in Pakistan. The primary emphasis was on the following topics: fertility, nuptiality, family size preferences, knowledge and use of family planning, the potential demand for contraception, the level of unwanted fertility, infant and child mortality, breastfeeding and food supplementation practices, maternal care, child nutrition and health, immunisations and child morbidity. This information is intended to assist policy makers, administrators and researchers in assessing and evaluating population and health programmes and strategies. The PDHS is further intended to serve as a source of demographic data for comparison with earlier surveys, particularly the 1975 Pakistan Fertility Survey (PFS) and the 1984-85 Pakistan Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (PCPS). MAIN RESULTS Until recently, fertility rates had remained high with little evidence of any sustained fertility decline. In recent years, however, fertility has begun to decline due to a rapid increase in the age at marriage and to a modest rise in the prevalence of contraceptive use. The lotal fertility rate is estimated to have fallen from a level of approximately 6.4 children in the early 1980s to 6.0 children in the mid-1980s, to 5.4 children in the late 1980s. The exact magnitude of the change is in dispute and will be the subject of further research. Important differentials of fertility include the degree ofurbanisation and the level of women's education. The total fertility rate is estimated to be nearly one child lower in major cities (4.7) than in rural areas (5.6). Women with at least some secondary schooling have a rate of 3.6, compared to a rate of 5.7 children for women with no formal education. There is a wide disparity between women's knowledge and use of contraceptives in Pakistan. While 78 percent of currently married women report knowing at least one method of contraception, only 21 percent have ever used a method, and only 12 percent are currently doing so. Three-fourths of current users are using a modem method and one-fourth a traditional method. The two most commonly used methods are female sterilisation (4 percent) and the condom (3 percent). Despite the relatively low level of contraceptive use, the gain over time has been significant. Among married non-pregnant women, contraceptive use has almost tripled in 15 years, from 5 percent in 1975 to 14 percent in 1990-91. The contraceptive prevalence among women with secondary education is 38 percent, and among women with no schooling it is only 8 percent. Nearly one-third of women in major cities arc current users of contraception, but contraceptive use is still rare in rural areas (6 percent). The Government of Pakistan plays a major role in providing family planning services. Eighty-five percent of sterilised women and 81 percent of IUD users obtained services from the public sector. Condoms, however, were supplied primarily through the social marketing programme. The use of contraceptives depends on many factors, including the degree of acceptability of the concept of family planning. Among currently married women who know of a contraceptive method, 62 percent approve of family planning. There appears to be a considerable amount of consensus between husbands and wives about family planning use: one-third of female respondents reported that both they and their husbands approve of family planning, while slightly more than one-fifth said they both disapprove. The latter couples constitute a group for which family planning acceptance will require concerted motivational efforts. The educational levels attained by Pakistani women remain low: 79 percent of women have had no formal education, 14 percent have studied at the primary or middle school level, and only 7 percent have attended at least some secondary schooling. The traditional social structure of Pakistan supports a natural fertility pattern in which the majority of women do not use any means of fertility regulation. In such populations, the proximate determinants of fertility (other than contraception) are crucial in determining fertility levels. These include age at marriage, breastfeeding, and the duration of postpartum amenorrhoea and abstinence. The mean age at marriage has risen sharply over the past few decades, from under 17 years in the 1950s to 21.7 years in 1991. Despite this rise, marriage remains virtually universal: among women over the age of 35, only 2 percent have never married. Marriage patterns in Pakistan are characterised by an unusually high degree of consangninity. Half of all women are married to their first cousin and an additional 11 percent are married to their second cousin. Breasffeeding is important because of the natural immune protection it provides to babies, and the protection against pregnancy it gives to mothers. Women in Pakistan breastfeed their children for an average of20months. Themeandurationofpostpartumamenorrhoeais slightly more than 9 months. After tbebirth of a child, women abstain from sexual relations for an average of 5 months. As a result, the mean duration of postpartum insusceptibility (the period immediately following a birth during which the mother is protected from the risk of pregnancy) is 11 months, and the median is 8 months. Because of differentials in the duration of breastfeeding and abstinence, the median duration of insusceptibility varies widely: from 4 months for women with at least some secondary education to 9 months for women with no schooling; and from 5 months for women residing in major cities to 9 months for women in rural areas. In the PDHS, women were asked about their desire for additional sons and daughters. Overall, 40 percent of currently married women do not want to have any more children. This figure increases rapidly depending on the number of children a woman has: from 17 percent for women with two living children, to 52 percent for women with four children, to 71 percent for women with six children. The desire to stop childbearing varies widely across cultural groupings. For example, among women with four living children, the percentage who want no more varies from 47 percent for women with no education to 84 percent for those with at least some secondary education. Gender preference continues to be widespread in Pakistan. Among currently married non-pregnant women who want another child, 49 percent would prefer to have a boy and only 5 percent would prefer a girl, while 46 percent say it would make no difference. The need for family planning services, as measured in the PDHS, takes into account women's statements concerning recent and future intended childbearing and their use of contraceptives. It is estimated that 25 percent of currently married women have a need for family planning to stop childbearing and an additional 12 percent are in need of family planning for spacing children. Thus, the total need for family planning equals 37 percent, while only 12 percent of women are currently using contraception. The result is an unmet need for family planning services consisting of 25 percent of currently married women. This gap presents both an opportunity and a challenge to the Population Welfare Programme. Nearly one-tenth of children in Pakistan die before reaching their first birthday. The infant mortality rate during the six years preceding the survey is estimaled to be 91 per thousand live births; the under-five mortality rate is 117 per thousand. The under-five mortality rates vary from 92 per thousand for major cities to 132 for rural areas; and from 50 per thousand for women with at least some secondary education to 128 for those with no education. The level of infant mortality is influenced by biological factors such as mother's age at birth, birth order and, most importantly, the length of the preceding birth interval. Children born less than two years after their next oldest sibling are subject to an infant mortality rate of 133 per thousand, compared to 65 for those spaced two to three years apart, and 30 for those born at least four years after their older brother or sister. One of the priorities of the Government of Pakistan is to provide medical care during pregnancy and at the time of delivery, both of which are essential for infant and child survival and safe motherhood. Looking at children born in the five years preceding the survey, antenatal care was received during pregnancy for only 30 percent of these births. In rural areas, only 17 percent of births benefited from antenatal care, compared to 71 percent in major cities. Educational differentials in antenatal care are also striking: 22 percent of births of mothers with no education received antenatal care, compared to 85 percent of births of mothers with at least some secondary education. Tetanus, a major cause of neonatal death in Pakistan, can be prevented by immunisation of the mother during pregnancy. For 30 percent of all births in the five years prior to the survey, the mother received a tetanus toxoid vaccination. The differentials are about the same as those for antenatal care generally. Eighty-five percent of the births occurring during the five years preceding the survey were delivered

The 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) is the sixth DHS undertaken in Bangladesh, following those implemented in 1993-94, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2004, and 2007. The main objectives of the 2011 BDHS are to: • Provide information to meet the monitoring and evaluation needs of health and family planning programs, and • Provide program managers and policy makers involved in these programs with the information they need to plan and implement future interventions. The specific objectives of the 2011 BDHS were as follows: • To provide up-to-date data on demographic rates, particularly fertility and infant mortality rates, at the national and subnational level; • To analyze the direct and indirect factors that determine the level of and trends in fertility and mortality; • To measure the level of contraceptive use of currently married women; • To provide data on knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS; • To assess the nutritional status of children (under age 5), women, and men by means of anthropometric measurements (weight and height), and to assess infant and child feeding practices; • To provide data on maternal and child health, including antenatal care, assistance at delivery, breastfeeding, immunizations, and prevalence and treatment of diarrhea and other diseases among children under age 5; • To measure biomarkers, such as hemoglobin level for women and children, and blood pressure, and blood glucose for women and men 35 years and older; • To measure key education indicators, including school attendance ratios and primary school grade repetition and dropout rates; • To provide information on the causes of death among children under age 5; • To provide community-level data on accessibility and availability of health and family planning services; • To measure food security. The 2011 BDHS was conducted under the authority of the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The survey was implemented by Mitra and Associates, a Bangladeshi research firm located in Dhaka. ICF International of Calverton, Maryland, USA, provided technical assistance to the project as part of its international Demographic and Health Surveys program (MEASURE DHS). Financial support was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Abstract

The Longitudinal Indian Family Health (LIFE) is a long-term research study that will examine socio-economic and environmental influences on children’s health and development in India. The main aim of the study is to understand the link between the environmental conditions in which Indian women conceive, go through their pregnancy and give birth, and their physical and mental health during this period.

The cohort comprises married women between 15 and 35 years of age (mean 22 years), recruited before pregnancy or in the first trimester of pregnancy, from 2009 to 2011. These CHVs focus on women in the village to ascertain pregnancy (by interview) and to educate and encourage the women to seek regular antenatal care and other health care services. REACH has enumerated all household members in these communities and mapped each dwelling by a geographical information system (GIS). During each visit, CHVs conduct interviews to collect and update information on demography and pregnancy. Since 2004, CHVs have been collecting data on infant deaths and birthweights in the population. Socio-demographic variables such as access to electricity, means of transportation and possession of audio-visual devices were collected from REACH database

Documentation

You can submit a proposal to collaborate with LIFE Study investigators. A written protocol must be submitted, reviewed and approved by the LIFE Data Sharing Plan Committee before initiation of new projects. For further information, contact Dr P. S. Reddy at [reddyps@verizon.net]. Updated information may be found on the research centre website at [www.sharefoundations.org].

Methodology

The LIFE study is being conducted in villages of Medchal Mandal, R.R.District, Telangana, India. Since 2009, 1227 women aged between 15 and 35 years were recruited before conception or within 14 weeks of gestation. Women were followed through pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. Follow-up of children is ongoing. Baseline data were collected from husbands of 642 women.

Anthropometric measurements, biological samples and detailed questionnaire data were collected during registration, the first and third trimesters, delivery and at 1 month postpartum. Anthropometric measurements and health questionnaire data are obtained for each child, and a developmental assessment is done at 1, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months. At 36 months, each child is screened for development and mental health problems. Questionnaires are completed for pregnancy loss and death of children under 5 years old. The LIFE Biobank preserves over 6000 samples.

The 1995 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS-II) is a nationally-representative survey of 7,070 women age 15-49 and 1,996 men age 15-54. The UDHS was designed to provide information on levels and trends of fertility, family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality, and maternal and child health. Fieldwork for the UDHS took place from late-March to mid-August 1995. The survey was similar in scope and design to the 1988-89 UDHS. Survey data show that fertility levels may be declining, contraceptive use is increasing, and childhood mortality is declining; however, data also point to several remaining areas of challenge. The 1995 UDHS was a follow-up to a similar survey conducted in 1988-89. In addition to including most of the same questions included in the 1988-89 UDHS, the 1995 UDHS added more detailed questions on AIDS and maternal mortality, as well as incorporating a survey of men. The general objectives of the 1995 UDHS are to: provide national level data which will allow the calculation of demographic rates, particularly fertility and childhood mortality rates; analyse the direct and indirect factors which determine the level and trends of fertility; measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice (of both women and men) by method, by urban-rural residence, and by region; collect reliable data on maternal and child health indicators; immunisation, prevalence, and treatment of diarrhoea and other diseases among children under age four; antenatal visits; assistance at delivery; and breastfeeding; assess the nutritional status of children under age four and their mothers by means of anthropometric measurements (weight and height), and also child feeding practices; and assess among women and men the prevailing level of specific knowledge and attitudes regarding AIDS and to evaluate patterns of recent behaviour regarding condom use. MAIN RESULTS Fertility: Fertility Trends. UDHS data indicate that fertility in Uganda may be starting to decline. The total fertility rate has declined from the level of 7.1 births per woman that prevailed over the last 2 decades to 6.9 births for the period 1992-94. The crude birth rate for the period 1992-94 was 48 live births per I000 population, slightly lower than the level of 52 observed from the 1991 Population and Housing Census. For the roughly 80 percent of the country that was covered in the 1988-89 UDHS, fertility has declined from 7.3 to 6.8 births per woman, a drop of 7 percent over a six and a half year period. Birth Intervals. The majority of Ugandan children (72 percent) are born after a "safe" birth interval (24 or more months apart), with 30 percent born at least 36 months after a prior birth. Nevertheless, 28 percent of non-first births occur less than 24 months after the preceding birth, with 10 percent occurring less than 18 months since the previous birth. The overall median birth interval is 29 months. Fertility Preferences. Survey data indicate that there is a strong desire for children and a preference for large families in Ugandan society. Among those with six or more children, 18 percent of married women want to have more children compared to 48 percent of married men. Both men and women desire large families. Family planning: Knowledge of Contraceptive Methods. Knowledge of contraceptive methods is nearly universal with 92 percent of all women age 15-49 and 96 percent of all men age 15-54 knowing at least one method of family planning. Increasing Use of Contraception. The contraceptive prevalence rate in Uganda has tripled over a six-year period, rising from about 5 percent in approximately 80 percent of the country surveyed in 1988-89 to 15 percent in 1995. Source of Contraception. Half of current users (47 percent) obtain their methods from public sources, while 42 percent use non-governmental medical sources, and other private sources account for the remaining 11 percent. Maternal and child health: High Childhood Mortality. Although childhood mortality in Uganda is still quite high in absolute terms, there is evidence of a significant decline in recent years. Currently, the direct estimate of the infant mortality rate is 81 deaths per 1,000 births and under five mortality is 147 per 1,000 births, a considerable decline from the rates of 101 and 180, respectively, that were derived for the roughly 80 percent of the country that was covered by the 1988-89 UDHS. Childhood Vaccination Coverage. One possible reason for the declining mortality is improvement in childhood vaccination coverage. The UDHS results show that 47 percent of children age 12-23 months are fully vaccinated, and only 14 percent have not received any vaccinations. Childhood Nutritional Status. Overall, 38 percent of Ugandan children under age four are classified as stunted (low height-for-age) and 15 percent as severely stunted. About 5 percent of children under four in Uganda are wasted (low weight-for-height); 1 percent are severely wasted. Comparison with other data sources shows little change in these measures over time. AIDS: Virtually all women and men in Uganda are aware of AIDS. About 60 percent of respondents say that limiting the number of sexual partners or having only one partner can prevent the spread of disease. However, knowledge of ways to avoid AIDS is related to respondents' education. Safe patterns of sexual behaviour are less commonly reported by respondents who have little or no education than those with more education. Results show that 65 percent of women and 84 percent of men believe that they have little or no chance of being infected. Availability of Health Services. Roughly half of women in Uganda live within 5 km of a facility providing antenatal care, delivery care, and immunisation services. However, the data show that children whose mothers receive both antenatal and delivery care are more likely to live within 5 km of a facility providing maternal and child health (MCH) services (70 percent) than either those whose mothers received only one of these services (46 percent) or those whose mothers received neither antenatal nor delivery care (39 percent).

The 1994 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 6,128 women age 15-49 and 2,141 men age 15-54. The ZDHS was implemented by the Central Statistical Office (CSO), with significant technical guidance provided by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MOH&CW) and the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC). Macro International Inc. (U.S.A.) provided technical assistance throughout the course of the project in the context of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme, while financial assistance was provided by the U.S, Agency for International Development (USAID/Harare). Data collection for the ZDHS was conducted from July to November 1994. As in the 1988 ZDHS, the 1994 ZDHS was designed to provide information on levels and trends in fertility, family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality, and maternal and child health. How- ever, the 1994 ZDHS went further, collecting data on: compliance with contraceptive pill use, knowledge and behaviours related to AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and mortality related to pregnancy and childbearing (i.e., maternal mortality). The ZDHS data are intended for use by programme managers and policymakers to evaluate and improve family planning and health programmes in Zimbabwe. The primary objectives of the 1994 ZDHS were to provide up-to-date information on: fertility levels; nuptiality; sexual activity; fertility preferences; awareness and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; nutritional status of mothers and young children; early childhood mortality and maternal mortality; maternal and child health, and awareness and behaviour regarding AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The 1994 ZDHS is a follow-up of the 1988 ZDHS, also implemented by CSO. While significantly expanded in scope, the 1994 ZDHS provides updated estimates of basic demographic and health indicators covered in the earlier survey. MAIN RESULTS FERTILITY Survey results show that Zimbabwe has experienced a fairly rapid decline in fertility over the past decade. Despite the decline in fertility, childbearing still begins early for many women. One in five women age 15-19 has begun childbearing (i.e., has already given birth or is pregnant with her first child). More than half of women have had a child before age 20. Births that occur too soon after a previous birth face higher risks of undemutrition, illness, and death. The 1994 ZDHS indicates that 12 percent of births in Zimbabwe take place less than two years after a prior birth. Marriage. The age at which women and men marry has risen slowly over the past 20 years. Nineteen percent of currently married women are in a polygynous union (i.e., their husband has at least one other wife). This represents a small rise in polygyny since the 1988 ZDHS when 17 percent of married women were in polygynous unions. Fertility Preferences. Around one-third of both women and men in Zimbabwe want no more children. The survey results show that, of births in the last three years, 1 in 10 was unwanted and in 1 in three was mistimed. If all unwanted births were avoided, the fertility rate in Zimbabwe would fall from 4.3 to 3.5 children per woman. FAMILY PLANNING Knowledge and use of family planning in Zimbabwe has continued to rise over the last several years. The 1994 ZDHS shows that virtually all married women (99 percent) and men (100 percent) were able to cite at least one modem method of contraception. Contraceptive use varies widely among geographic and socioeconomic subgroups. Fifty-eight per- cent of married women in Harare are using a modem method versus 28 percent in Manicaland. Government-sponsored providers remain the chief source of contraceptive methods in Zimbabwe. Survey results show that 15 percent of married women have an unmet need for family planning (either for spacing or limiting births). CHILDHOOD MORTALITY One of the main objectives of the ZDHS was to document the levels and trends in mortality among children under age five. The 1994 ZDHS results show that child survival prospects have not improved since the late 1980s. The ZDHS results show that childhood mortality is especially high when associated with two factors: short preceding birth interval and low level of maternal education. MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH Utilisation of antenatal services is high in Zimbabwe; in the three years before the survey, mothers received antenatal care for 93 percent of births. About 70 percent of births take place in health facilities; however, this figure varies from around 53 percent in Manicaland and Mashonaland Central to 94 percent in Bulawayo. It is important for the health of both the mother and child that trained medical personnel are available in cases of prolonged or obstructed delivery, which are major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Twenty-four percent of children under age three were reported to have had diarrhoea in the two weeks preceding the survey. Nutrition. Almost all children (99 percent) are breastfed for some period of time; When food supplementation begins, wide disparity exists in the types of food received by children in different geographic and socioecoaomic groups. Generally, children living in urban areas (Harare and Bulawayo, in particular) and children of more educated women receive protein-rich foods (e.g., meat, eggs, etc.) on a more regular basis than other children. AIDS AIDS-related Knowledge and Behaviour. All but a fraction of Zimbabwean women and men have heard of AIDS, but the quality of that knowledge is sometimes poor. Condom use and limiting the number of sexual partners were cited most frequently by both women and men as ways to avoid the AIDS Virus. While general knowledge of condoms is nearly universal among both women and men, when asked where they could get a condom, 30 Percent of women and 20 percent of men could not cite a single source.