Beyond the Demographic and Health Survey: on the past and future of population health surveillance

Key Points

• This research examines the impact of funding cuts on health surveillance systems, particularly focusing on the DHS program.
• Reviews the history of the Demographic and Health Survey program.
• Analyzes the implications of defunding on population health data.
• Discusses potential future frameworks for health surveillance.
• The pausing of the DHS highlights vulnerabilities in health data collection.
• Funding loss could lead to significant gaps in national health monitoring.
• Calls for the development of resilient data infrastructures are emphasized.