Introduction to the special issue on DHS in Africa

Abstract

The DHS program has conducted nationally-representative surveys worldwide, including Africa, since the mid-1980s. The data are open access and provide a rich resource for policymakers and scholars alike; however there has never been a special issue of a journal focusing on analysis of DHS data. The idea for a special issue on the theme of DHS in Africa emerged during the 2013 DHS Fellows program. It was determined that the African Population Studies Journal, as the only peer-reviewed bilingual journal of population studies in Africa, would be the most appropriate host for a special issue. On behalf of the team from the Zimbabwe Open University, I approached the Editor-in-Chief of the African Population Studies Journal, Prof. Clifford Odimegwu, about hosting this special issue.