The 2016-16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (2015-16 MDHS) was conducted between October 2015 and February 2016 by the National Statistical Office (NSO) of Malawi in joint collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Community Health Services Unit (CHSU). Malawi conducted its first DHS in 1992 and again in 2000, 2004, and 2010. The 2015-16 MDHS is the fifth in the series. The survey is based on a nationally representative sample that provides estimates at the national and regional levels and for urban and rural areas with key indicator estimates at the district level. The survey included 26,361 households, 24,562 female respondents, and 7,478 male respondents. The primary objective of the 2015-16 MDHS is to provide current estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. The MDHS provides a comprehensive overview of population, maternal, and child health issues in Malawi. More specifically, the 2015-16 MDHS: collected data that allow the calculation of key demographic indicators, particularly fertility and under 5 and adult mortality rates provided data to explore the direct and indirect factors that determine the levels and trends of fertility and child mortality measured the levels of contraceptive knowledge and practice obtained data on key aspects of family health, such as immunisation coverage among children, prevalence and treatment of diarrhoea and other diseases among children under age 5, and maternity care indicators that include antenatal visits and assistance at delivery obtained data on child feeding practices including breastfeeding collected anthropometric measures that assess nutritional status, and conducted anaemia testing for all eligible children under age 5 and women age 15-49 collected data on knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS, potential exposure to the risk of HIV infection (risk behaviours and condom use) and coverage of HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC) and other key HIV programmes collected dried blood spot (DBS) specimens for HIV testing from women age 15-49 and men age 15-54 to provide information on the prevalence of HIV among the adult population in the prime reproductive ages. The micronutrient component of the 2015-16 MDHS was designed to: (1) determine the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies (vitamin A, B, iron, iodine, zinc) and anaemia among pre-school and school-age children, women, and men of child-bearing age; (2) estimate micronutrient supplementation and fortification coverage; and (3) assess the knowledge and practices in maternal and child nutrition. The information collected in the 2015-16 MDHS will assist policy makers and programme managers in evaluating and designing programmes and strategies that can improve the health of the country’s population.
