Press Releases

Jan 05, 2006
An in-depth analysis of HIV prevalence in Ghana

Calverton, MD. This study looks at a sub sample of sexually experienced men and women who were tested for HIV during the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). Using bivariate and multivariate analysis, the authors examined the association between HIV prevalence and socio demographic characteristics, HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and sexual behavior.

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Dec 15, 2005
Maternal and child health in Chad: 8 years of stagnation

N'Djamena, Chad. On Tuesday, December 6, 2005, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation of Chad, the Honorable Mahamat Ali Hassan, officially opened the Dissemination Seminar on the findings of the 2004 Chad Demographic and Health Survey (EDST-II). Overall, results show that the status of maternal and child health has not changed in Chad since 1996-97, when the first DHS survey took place in that country.

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Sep 26, 2005
Use and availability of family planning services show marked improvement in Ghana

Calverton, MD. Knowledge and use of family planning have increased markedly in Ghana, and the country is well on its way to achieving the population policy goals set forth by the Ghanaian government. A trends report published recently by the MEASURE DHS project found that Ghana has now surpassed its goal of lowering the nation's total fertility rate to 5.0 children per woman by the year 2000, as it now stands at 4.4.

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Sep 02, 2005
Wealthy and educated women are the most vulnerable to HIV infection in Cameroon

Calverton, MD. Seven percent of women in Cameroon are infected with HIV, compared with 4% among men, according to the latest Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS), conducted from February to August of 2004, the third DHS of its kind in this country.

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Aug 24, 2005
Early marriage in Bangladesh: still highest in Asia

Calverton, MD. Early marriage and childbearing remain major obstacles to further fertility decline in Bangladesh. More than half of women marry before age 15. This is the highest rate of early marriage in Asia and among the highest worldwide. Nevertheless, fertility in Bangladesh is now on the decline after a ten-year stagnation.

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