The 2016-17 Maldives Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) is the second Demographic and Health Survey conducted in the Maldives. The primary objective of the 2016-17 MDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of key demographic and health indicators. The MDHS provides a comprehensive overview of population, maternal, and child health issues in the Maldives. More specifically, the 2016-17 MDHS: Collected data at the national level that allowed calculation of key demographic indicators, particularly fertility and under-5 mortality rates Explored the direct and indirect factors that determine levels and patterns of fertility and child mortality Measured levels of contraceptive knowledge and practice Collected data on key aspects of family health, including immunisation coverage among children, prevalence and treatment of diarrhoea and other diseases among children under age 5, and maternity care indicators such as antenatal visits and assistance at delivery Obtained data on child feeding practices, including breastfeeding Collected anthropometric measures to assess the nutritional status of children under age 5, women age 15-49, and men age 15-49 Conducted haemoglobin testing on children age 6-59 months and women age 15-49 to provide information on the prevalence of anaemia in these groups Collected data on knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS and assessed the coverage of past HIV testing Collected data on the prevalence of disabilities among all household members Collected data on early childhood education, support for children’s learning, and the level of inadequate care for young children Assessed the level of knowledge and self-reported prevalence of certain non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, thalassemia, and tuberculosis Collected data on knowledge and prevalence of female circumcision among women age 15-49 and their daughters age 0-14 Obtained data on women’s experience of emotional, physical, and sexual violence.
