Demographic surveillance and Health Research System unit consists of monitoring demographic and health characteristics of a population living in a well-defined geographic area. The process starts with a baseline census followed by a regular update of key demographic events (birth, death, and migration) and health events twice a year. The greatest advantage of event registration is that it is continuously collecting data and therefore, it is possible to study the changes in a population’s vital events over some time. HDSS population can be used as a sampling frame for other studies and surveys. For example, morbidity, livelihood, and household panel surveys and cohort studies can use HDSSs as sampling frames allowing the surveys to be carried out within the rounds of the HDSS
It is operating in nine Kebeles of Arba Minch Zuria woreda and Gacho Baba woreda in Gamo Zone with two programs; Demographic Surveillance and Mortality Surveillance. The program has conducted a census as its first job in 2009 and still updates events twice a year.
Vision: To be a center of excellence in community-based health research in Ethiopia
Mission: To advance research undertaking and generate pieces of evidence for decision making.
Some of the Objectives
- Provide baseline and longitudinal community based demographic, socio-economic, and health-related data to relevant government offices/stakeholders
- Avail up-to-date sampling frame and population-level data for collaborative local and international researchers.
- Take part in identifying and carrying out priority research to help and address policy, planning, and implementation needs.
- Serve the utilization of the site as a field laboratory for health sciences training and research
- Identify causes of death using the verbal autopsy method