Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) provided crucial data on health, mortality, and development in many lower- and middle-income countries. They were primarily funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), reports Our World in Data  (OWID). The DHS brought crucial data for more than 90 countries, data that is otherwise poorly recorded in these countries.

These surveys also gathered important data on health and development, filling a critical data gap that helped to understand the burden of particular diseases, where to direct resources, and more.

But earlier this year the US government announced that it had terminated funding for the programme, which was primarily covered by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). This move cut off 23 surveys that were set up or ongoing, affecting the countries highlighted on the map.

“This threatens global health and development efforts and will affect many of the estimates we provide on Our World in Data. If governments and international organisations want to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems, they will be in a much worse position without the data these surveys provide.

“It doesn’t have to end this way. There’s now an effort to rescue the DHS, and new funders could help secure its future.” In a new article, Saloni Dattani gives an overview of the DHS, what the termination of USAID funding means, and what can be done about it.