In this Expert’s Voice feature, global health researchers Jil Molenaar and Peter Macharia discuss the profound impact of USAID’s decision to suspend funding for the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program in early 2025.
The DHS Program, a cornerstone for tracking health trends globally, suddenly halted its operations, creating dangerous gaps in population health data.
Molenaar and Macharia, alongside 30 co-authors, published a timely commentary highlighting the immediate risks and long-term consequences of the suspension, such as loss of consistent health data, hindered global health comparisons, and compromised training for new researchers.
They propose transformative solutions, including a decentralized funding model, where multiple donors and national governments play a role in sustaining the DHS Program.
They also advocate for local ownership of data repositories in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to reduce reliance on external funding and ensure the continuity of health surveys.
Their insights underscore the need for greater resilience and equity in global health data systems.
If you want to learn more about the future of DHS data, its critical role in public health, and how we can rebuild these systems, read the full expert interview now!
