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The Dodowa Health and Demographic Surveillance System (DHDSS) is one of the three HDSS sites in Ghana under the Ghana Health Service (GHS). DSS is the core business of Dodowa Health Research Centre and it is useful in monitoring new health threats, tracking population changes and also assessing policy interventions. The DHSS on a bi annual basis updates information on vital events such as births, deaths, pregnancies, marriage, education, vaccination, socioeconomic and health related indicators including GIS data updates. The DHSS is a member of the INDEPTH Network, which is a network of all field sites with continuous demographic evaluation of populations and their health across Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. INDEPTH network is a not-for-profit making organization.
Background Information
DHDSS data information updates were commenced in 2006 after an initial census in 2005. Regular household visits are conducted every six months and some of the key demographic events collected are pregnancies, births, migrations and deaths that occur in the Demographic Surveillance Area (DSA). In addition, all in and out migrations are paired throughout the year. Other information of interest which is updated annually includes immunization, education and socioeconomic status.
Data collection is currently being done by 15 Field Workers with eight (8) Field Supervisors in 376 communities.
The Dodowa HDSS operates within the boundaries of the Dangme West district (1 0f the 10 districts) of the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The demographic surveillance area (DSA) is divided into four (4) sub-districts and seven area councils. Field operations
The data collection activities in each area council are overseen by one Field supervisor with the exception of the Prampram area council which has two field supervisors due to its size. The FSs oversee the work of two or three (2 or 3) field workers (FWs) per area council on the average.
The DHSS uses the multi-task system (MTS). This is in the quest to strengthen its data collection system effectively and efficiently in order to enrich its data quality. Under the MTS, a field supervisor monitors and evaluates the work of fieldworkers by checking the household registration book (HRB) and event forms, supervising field activities, pairing migrants, conducting verbal autopsy to help ascertain cause of death, registering new births for birth certificate processing, linking up with community key informants (CKIs) to establish the credibility of an event, conducting quality control checks and any other duties assigned to him /her.
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