Understanding health survey

comprehensive survey that provides updated statistics for most health and demographic indicators, is nearing completion amid some kind of resistance by the educated population of the country.
Since September last year, fieldwork was being undertaken by the National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), previously known as the Central Statistical Office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MoHCW).
The survey, which collects information on reproduction, contraception and fertility preferences; marriage and sexual activity; employment and literacy, is likely to end this month.
The demographic health survey also focuses on people’s participation in maternal and child health care; children’s immunisation; voluntary anaemia and HIV testing; and birth registration.
As with the 2005/2006 ZDHS, the 2010 ZDHS for the second time collected information on malaria prevention and treatment, gender-based violence and population based estimates for anaemia and HIV. It also had questions on concurrent sex and male circumcision.
Height and weight of different individuals was measured as part of the survey.
Because of sensitivity on some questions, female field workers interviewed all women while male field workers spoke with men.
Some of the sensitive questions include when an individual first had sexual intercourse, how many sexual partners one has, whether one has ever had a sexually transmitted disease and domestic violence among many others.
The interviews were done separately in different rooms to create a friendly environment for interviewees and also get honest responses.
But, despite making such efforts to keep the interview questions confidential, teams of trained interviewers visiting selected households countrywide and gathering information from the general populace on demographic and health issues have been met with some kind of resistance from some sections of society, especially urban areas.
Others, while standing on their entrances have posed questions on why they should take part in the demographic health survey and why they are asked to undergo anaemia and HIV testing during the interviews.
Some of the educated population has simply shut their doors in the faces of the field workers and refused to participate.
But what is the importance of the demographic health survey?
Who benefits from the process?
Why should people take part in the voluntary HIV and Aids sample testing?
And above all why should people give accurate information to the questions they are asked no matter how hard some may be?
Demographic Health Survey Director, Mr Washington Mapeta says the survey responses have been generally high especially in rural areas.
He adds that most of those who are resisting are the educated population who for one reason or another believe that they are too busy to take part in the survey.
“The behaviour of the educated is like a worldwide phenomenon where people think and say that they are always too busy.
“Others just want their privacy and are not willing to answer some questions posed to them by our field workers.
“You find out that responses in Harare and Bulawayo are low in some pockets.
“Another problem is the HIV testing component when we ask for dry blood samples.
“You get some pockets where there are some people who will refuse to get tested and this is when problems arise”, he said.
Mr Mapeta added that in Harare, areas like Borrowdale have low responses compared to Mbare and Mabvuku where responses were quite high.
Mr Mapeta said the 2010 ZDHS is one of a series of surveys undertaken by ZIMSTAT as part of the Zimbabwe National Household Survey Capability Programme. Earlier surveys were undertaken in 1988, 1994, and 1999 and 2005/6. He explained that the HIV and Aids component of the survey entails asking members of selected households about their knowledge and attitudes on HIV.
All dry blood samples will be taken on a voluntary basis, and go to the National Medical Reference Laboratory (NMRL) for anonymous and voluntary HIV testing.
He added that the results would then be collated by ZIMSTAT to produce aggregate statistics on population-based HIV prevalence rates in the country.
“In the past, most of the HIV statistics were based mainly on test results of pregnant women.
“But under this survey, pregnant women and those who are not, men and children were tested upon signing consent forms”, he adds.
He said participating in the ZDHS is important because it is comprehensive and will also respond to data needs and can also be used to monitor progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
He also said the data that is collected is used to furnish programme managers and policy makers with information they can use in monitoring and implementing programmes.
Mr Mapeta added that they have refined the way they ask questions on male circumcision as they felt the questions had some shortcomings.
“In the past two surveys, we also asked about circumcision but the answers we got and the scientific findings did not go hand in hand with the prevalence rate.
“We thought that this was maybe because of the way the questions were asked,” he added.
Mr Mapeta also revealed that preliminary results of the survey are expected in June while they hope to release the final results in November or December.
The carrying out of the survey is a joint effort comprising Government, donors, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.
ZIMSTAT is responsible for planning and conducting of the fieldwork, processing of collected data; report writing; and dissemination of the results.
The MoHCW, which is the main user of the data, conducts the HIV tests in its laboratories and also provides health personnel who will lead the field teams during data collection.
Macro International Inc. is providing technical assistance and funding through the MEASURE DHS project, a United States Agency for International Development (USaid) funded project, which provides support for the implementation of population and health surveys in more than ninety countries of the world.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is supporting ZIMSTAT in management of this joint programme and also financial and technical support together with the USaid, United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), European Union (EU), United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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