Apr 25, 2013
HIV Testing Improving in Sub-Saharan Africa but many HIV-positive people do not know their status

Calverton, Maryland

Despite remarkable increases in HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa, it remains that the majority of HIV-positive women and men in 16 of the sub-Saharan countries studied have never been tested for HIV, and therefore cannot know their HIV status.

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Apr 10, 2013
US Government supports Tajikistan Statistical Agency in Health Data Collection

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

United States Ambassador Susan Elliott, Head of Department of Health, Family and Women Affairs of the Presidential Administration, Lola Bobokhojieva, Director of the Statistical Agency, Bahtiya Muhammadieva, and the First Deputy Minister of Health, Saida Jobirova, participated in the presentation of an internationally recognized Demographic and Health Survey preliminary report.

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Feb 04, 2013
Marked improvements in maternal and child health in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladesh has witnessed marked improvements in maternal and child health over the last four decades. Women are having fewer children, and these children are increasingly likely to live longer and healthier lives than previous generations. Women are also receiving more skilled assistance during pregnancy and delivery than ever before. Further improvements would need effective public-private and NGO partnerships to improve access to and quality of services. Bangladesh also needs to be prepared to deal with the worrying rise in non-communicable illnesses, like hypertension and diabetes. These challenges, brought to light by the newly released 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2011 BDHS), will require policy and program reform, more targeted and more innovative interventions, and long-term behavior change.

 

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Jan 03, 2013
2013 DHS Fellows program accepting applications until February 11 2013

ICF International is seeking applications for the 2013 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Fellows Program. Applications must be from teams comprised of three faculty members from the same university in Africa who work in departments of demography, public health, economics, sociology, geography, or other social sciences. The universities they represent must be in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.

Since 1984, the MEASURE DHS project has been providing high-quality, nationally representative data on population, health, and nutrition for the developing world. The DHS Fellows Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is designed to increase the capacity of countries to use DHS data. In 2013, the primary objectives of this program are as follows:

·To teach fellows to analyze DHS datasets, produce result tables, and conduct research with DHS data

·To strengthen skills that fellows will use to integrate DHS data in teaching

·To increase the ability of fellows to build the capacity for using DHS data at their home universities

Each team of three fellows selected for the program will be expected to jointly complete a publishable-quality manuscript on policy-relevant questions related to one or more of the following topic areas: HIV/AIDS, mortality, fertility, family planning, gender, nutrition, and reproductive, maternal, or child health. Papers must use data collected in the DHS, AIDS Indicator Surveys (AIS), or Service Provision Assessment (SPA) surveys. In addition, each team will be expected to design a plan for building capacity in the use of DHS data for teaching and research to be implemented at their home universities.All three members of each selected team of fellows must be available to attend two workshops organized by ICF International, one at the beginning and one toward the end of the program (see schedule below).

The language for the program is English. Manuscripts that meet the required standards will be published by ICF International in their Working Paper series. Fellows will be encouraged to submit their completed papers to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. To apply, each team of three faculty members, including one senior[1] member, are invited to jointly submit the following:

• A brief research proposal (3 to 4 pages), clearly outlining the research question(s), scope of analysis, and how DHS, AIS, or SPA data will be used to answer these questions. Please describe the potential policy significance of the proposed study and how it relates to the scientific literature.
• A brief plan for internal capacity-building (1 to 2 pages) that describes realistic activities the applicants will undertake after the completion of the fellowship; these activities should enable fellows to pass on knowledge and skills learned through the program to students and faculty at their home university.

In addition, the joint application should include the following from each member:

• A brief (<1 page) personal statement from each applicant that includes:
• • Prior experience working with DHS data
  • Current level of proficiency in using SPSS or Stata
  • Information on the courses the applicant is teaching
  • Research areas she/he plans to explore in the next five years
• A curriculum vitae with a list of publications and complete contact information
• Names and contact information for three references
• Proof of status as a current university faculty member and duration of employment

The fellows program for 2013 will select four teams based on the merits of their research proposal and on the applicants' potential for building the capacity of their home university to use DHS data. If selected, each candidate will need to provide evidence, such as a letter of approval from their department chairperson, that the university/department agrees to 1) her/his participation and successful completion in the fellowship program, including participation in both ICF International organized workshops, and 2) implementation of capacity-building activities related to use of DHS data at the university.

Applications are due no later than February 11, 2013. The following is the expected timeline for the program:

March 5, 2013	Selected candidates are notified.
April 29-May 10, 2013	First two-week workshop to be held in an African country to prepare Fellows to use DHS datasets, refine research questions, and start data analysis.
May 27, 2013	Fellows submit interim drafts of their paper and capacity-building plan to ICF.
June 17-28, 2013	Second two-week workshop to be held in an African country for fellows to finalize their capacity-building plans and papers for publication. Fellows will be required to prepare and make brief presentations.
July 22, 2013	Fellows submit final papers and capacity-building plans to ICF.
September 15, 2013	Fellows report back on capacity-building activities implemented in their home universities.

Each selected fellow will be awarded a $3,000 stipend to cover his or her research expenses, which will be paid in installments based upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables. In addition, ICF International will cover economy airfare from the home university in Africa, lodging, and per diem expenses for each fellow to attend both workshops at a location elsewhere in Africa.

Please send inquires and applications to Ms. Shanxiao Wang, International Health and Development Division, ICF International, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calverton, MD 20705, USA. Email: Shanxiao.wang@icfi.com; Tel: +1 301-572-0200; Fax: +1 301-572-0999. For information on Demographic and Health Surveys, AIDS Indicator Surveys, and Service Provision Assessment Surveys, visit www.measuredhs.com.

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[1]A senior faculty member is described as one or more of the following: (a) holding tenure, or a permanent contract; (b) having worked at the university for at least 10 years; (c) currently or previously occupying a senior position, such as chair of department.

 

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Jul 19, 2012
HIV prevalence decreases in 6 countries

Calverton, Maryland, USA
HIV prevalence has decreased in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Dominican Republic, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, according to the new "HIV Prevalence Estimates" report released by the USAID-funded MEASURE Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) project. MEASURE DHS now has HIV prevalence data based on representative, population-based surveys for 35 countries. For the 13 countries in which two rounds of HIV testing have been carried out, HIV prevalence has dropped in the six listed above.

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