USAID Mission Director Announces Dissemination of the 2005 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey

September 18, 2006
No. 30/06

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) -- The results of the 2005 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) were released by the Central Statistical Agency and the Ministry of Health in Addis Ababa on Monday, September 18th.  

The 2005 EDHS is a national survey based on interviews with over 14,000 women and over 6,000 men. The survey was carried out by the Central Statistical Agency and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Ethiopia, the United States’ President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Governments of the Netherlands and Ireland, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Technical assistance for the survey was provided by ORC Macro, a U.S.-based company.  The 2005 EDHS is the second survey of its kind in Ethiopia.

The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) project is a global data collection effort funded by USAID and carried out by ORC Macro and in-country implementing organizations. These nationally representative household surveys collect data on demographic patterns, fertility, maternal and child health, malaria, HIV, and nutrition for policy and program planning.

Glenn Anders, USAID Mission Director, and representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Central Statistics Agency jointly announced the 2005 EDHS at Africa Hall today.  Mr. Anders called the survey a “gold mine of information for everyone working to make Ethiopia a healthier and more prosperous nation”.  He also cautioned that collection of demographic and health data is not enough, and urged program and policy makers to make good use of the data.  “It is your use of this data that can lead to change.  The use of the information is what makes surveys such as these worthwhile”. 

Key findings of the 2005 EDHS include both good and bad news for Ethiopia.  According to the survey, infant and child mortality has declined significantly since the year 2000, and married women are reported to have doubled their use of family planning.  However, few women are receiving antenatal or obstetric care, and almost half of Ethiopian children suffer from chronic malnutrition.   

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