Analysts want adoption of HDSS to monitor MDGs

Representative of the Oyo State Commissioner of Health, Dr Taiwo Bello (third right), exchanging pleasantries with the chairman, Ophtamological Society of Nigeria, South-West zone, Professor Ronke Baiyeroju, while others look on, at the 2010 World Sight Day, held at Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road, Ibadan. Photo: Tunde Babajide.
ANALYSTS have argued for adoption of the Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) of the INDEPTH Network to monitor progress towards achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
With the countdown to the MDGs targets now less than five years and very little is understood on where nations of the world stood in attaining these goals, they have said such data collected from the long-term follow-up of defined populations in HDSSs could help in measuring national progress towards the MDGS in the absence of complete vital registration.
The HDSSs consisted of a series of field operations that entail longitudinal follow-up of well-defined entities (individuals, households, and residential units) and all related demographic and health outcomes within a well-defined geographic area.
The analysts in 2010 Global Health Action publication entitled, “Monitoring the millennium development goals: The potential role of the INDEPTH Network” argued that HDSS have a potential to become the key data source for monitoring the MDGs, particularly if countries set up multiple HDSS centres within their boundaries to serve as sentinel centres.
“Many low-income and developing countries lack the conventional data sources for systematic assessment of the MDGs. In the absence of reasonably operational vital registration systems, censuses and surveys have dominated as the main source of demographic information and these have a limited degree of accuracy,”the said.
While surveillance data may not be able to capture all the important indicators of poverty, they pointed out that information provided in HDSS, it is possible to compute poverty indices over time, the proportion of children underweight as a proxy for dietary intake, deaths including neonatal, infant, child, and indeed, adult deaths as well as immunization status of children, which is a key indicator for measuring child survival.
They concluded that HDSS data could provide evidence for monitoring many key indicators of progress and thus assist prioritisation in health reforms.
Source:http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/health-news/12411-analysts-want-adoption-of-hdss-to-monitor-mdgs