Guyana will be one of the first countries in the English speaking Caribbean to conduct a demographic health survey (DHS).At a press conference held at his office on Saturday, Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy told reporters that the DHS will commence in March and will last for three months.He explained that the only country in CARICOM that has ever done a DHS is Haiti, which received assistance from the United States to do such.Outside of Haiti, the Dominican Republic would be the only other country that has done a DHS; and according to Minister Ramsammy, in this respect, it is a significant achievement for Guyana.The DHS will be done every five years,Jeff Green Jersey, and is aimed at assessing the health status of children and men, as well as the maternal health status of women. It is also aimed at assessing the knowledge and risk behaviour of the population.Dr Leslie RamsammyThere will be three separate questionnaires which will be used in 6,600 households in 330 enumeration districts. The questionnaires will look for different characteristics of each? household, such as list of members, survivorship and residency of biological patients, school attendance,Air Max 97 Undefeated White, use of building materials, mosquito net use, support for sick persons and orphans, and measurement of height and hemoglobin — to check for anemia.Women and men between the ages of 15 and 49 in those households will complete separate individual questionnaires.Household salt will also be checked to ascertain the level of available iodine, which Dr. Ramsammy said is a nutrient necessary for good health.According to Minister Ramsammy, the individual questionnaire for women will source data on personal characteristics.This questionnaire will collect data on reproductive health, contraceptives, pregnancy and post-natal care, child immunization, nutrition of women and all their children, marriage and sexual activities,Cheap Air Jordan Shoes, husband/partner characteristics,Cheap Boston Bruins Jerseys, women’s work, domestic violence,Air Max 97 White, HIV/AIDS and other health issues, such as TB, drug abuse, alcohol and tobacco use.Additionally, the individual male questionnaire will capture data on reproduction and sexuality, contraception, marriage, employment and gender roles,Air Max 97 Buy Online, HIV/AIDS and other health issues, such as TB,Cheap Atlanta Falcons Jerseys, circumcision, alcohol abuse, violence and accidents, smoking and health insurance.The Ministry of Health will be the lead agency, and, through a Technical Advisory Committee chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr.Shamdeo Persaud, will monitor the implementation of the survey and report to the Minister of Health.“The training that we receive during this first DHS will allow us to do more of these types of surveys in the future, and I am asking the citizens of Guyana to cooperate in March, April and May, as the surveyors come,” Minister Ramsammy said.It was explained that the National Bureau of Statistics will be the implementing agency for the DHS, and will also be responsible for operational matters related to the survey, including planning, conduct of fieldwork, processing of collected data, and dissemination of results.Dr. Ramsammy assured that all the data collected will be under strict confidentiality, and the final results will be the sole property of the Government of Guyana. Information gathered will be handled collectively with specified groupings into rural, urban, coastal and hinterland areas made for analysis and reporting.He noted that interviewers will be properly identified with picture ID cards issued by the Bureau of Statistics, and will also be trained to seek the required information correctly without any discomfort to the sampled household.Guyana will also be getting assistance from a technical agency from the United States in conducting this survey, while funding will be provided by USAID.