The DHS Program

March 15, 2010 
The first Demographic and Health Survey provides comprehensive information on the health and demographic status of the Albanian population and shows areas for improvement

Tirana, Albania
The Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) has released the results of the first-ever 2008-09 Albanian Demographic and Health Survey (ADHS) [English version] [Albanian version].

This survey collected data on demographic patterns, fertility, maternal and child health, HIV, nutrition, migration and women’s empowerment. According to the ADHS, disparities in health and nutrition status, access to health services and levels of knowledge of family planning, HIV/AIDS and STIs are identified as areas for improvement.

Key findings of the 2008-09 ADHS presented today explore the demographic and health indicator trends in Albania. According to the survey, fertility decreased and infant and child mortality declined significantly over the five years preceding the survey. Married women reported a considerable drop in the use of traditional contraceptive methods. Almost all women receive antenatal or obstetric care, and the nutritional status of children, despite an improving trend, remains a public health concern.

Dr. Petrit Vasili, Minister of Health said, “Population-based studies of this magnitude are a major undertaking that provide information on important indicators which measure the progress of a country.”

The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) project is a global data collection effort. The 2008-09 ADHS relies on data collected from a sample of households which is representative of the whole population. The survey conducted over a period of 6 months from October 2008 to April 2009 interviewed 8,994 households, 7,584 women and 3,013 men age 15-49.

The survey was carried out by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) and the Institute of Public Health (IPH) and was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swiss Cooperation Office (SCO- A), United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). Technical assistance to ensure quality of the survey and build local capacity was provided by ICF MACRO.

The survey provides a good set of data and statistically sound estimates of social indicators which will be used by policy makers, researchers, NGOs and academia.