The 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2017) is a national sample survey designed to provide information on population, family planning, maternal and child health, child survival, HIV/AIDS, and reproductive health in the Philippines. The NDHS will involve interviewing all women in the sample households who are 15 to 49 years old. These women will be asked questions about their background, the children they have given birth to, their knowledge and use of family planning methods, the health of their children, their awareness of HIV/AIDS, and other information that will be helpful to policy makers and administrators in health and family planning fields.
The NDHS is part of a worldwide survey program called, Demographic and Health Surveys (OHS) Program, which is designed to assist countries in conducting household sample surveys to periodically monitor changes in population, health and nutrition; and provide an international database that can be used by researchers investigating topics related to population, health, and nutrition. As part of the OHS Program, surveys are being carried out in countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Data from these surveys are used to better understand the population, health, and nutrition situation in the countries surveyed.
The survey will use two types of questionnaires, the Household Questionnaire and Woman's Questionnaire. The Household Questionnaire is used to solicit some information about each household member and housing characteristics such as type of water source, sanitation facilities, quality of flooring, ownership of durable goods, and information on health care utilization, local health program, non-communicable diseases, and infectious disease.
The Household Questionnaire will also identify women who are eligible to be interviewed with the Woman's Questionnaire that collects information on the following topics: (a) socio demographic characteristics, (b) reproduction, (c) contraception, (d) maternal health care andbreastfeeding, (e) vaccination and health of children, (f) marriage and sexual activity, (g) fertility preferences, (h) husband's background characteristics and woman's employment activity, (i) HIV/AIDS, U) other health issued and (k) women's safety.
For the first time, NDHS 2017 will make use of computer aided personal interview (CAPI) during data collection with the technical and IT assistance provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the ICF International, and the Department of Health (DOH).
The success of the said activity will greatly rely on the cooperation and willingness of the respondents in giving some information that will be be solicited by the NDHS 2017 team who may visit them from August 7 to September 29, 2017.
SOCRATES L. RAMORES
Regional Director
