Malawi demographic and health survey 2004

The 2004 MDHS survey is the third survey of its kind to be conducted in Malawi; the first MDHS was in 1992 and the second was in 2000. The 2004 MDHS included, for the first time, testing of blood samples to provide national rates for anaemia and HIV. The fieldwork was carried out by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health from October 2004 to January 2005. In 1996, a similar survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Health (MKAPH) was conducted. All four surveys were designed to provide information on indicators of maternal and child health in Malawi. The primary objective of the 2004 MDHS was to provide up-to-date information for policymakers, planners, researchers, and programme managers that would allow guidance in the development, monitoring, and evaluation of health programmes in Malawi. Specifically, the 2004 MDHS collected information on fertility levels, nuptiality, fertility preferences, knowledge and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of mothers and children, childhood illnesses and mortality, use of maternal and child health services, malaria, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and behaviours. The survey will also provide the national level estimates of HIV prevalence for women age 15-49 and men age 15-54, and anaemia status of women age 15-49 and children age 6-59 months. The 2004 MDHS results present evidence of a decline in maternal mortality rate as compared to the 2000 MDHS; decrease in fertility rates, an increase in the use of family planning methods and a decline in infant and under-five mortality since the 1992 MDHS. However, the disparity between knowledge and use of family planning remains high. Some of these are critical issues and need to be addressed without delay. (Author abstract)