title: Health and Demographic Surveillance System in the Western and coastal areas of Kenya: an infrastructure for epidemiologic studies in Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) is a longitudinal data collection process that systematically and continuously monitors population dynamics for a specified population in a geographically defined area that lacks an effective system for registering demographic information and vital events.
  
  
  METHODS
  HDSS programs have been run in 2 regions in Kenya: in Mbita district in Nyanza province and Kwale district in Coast Province. The 2 areas have different disease burdens and cultures. Vital events were obtained by using personal digital assistants and global positioning system devices. Additional health-related surveys have been conducted bimonthly using various PDA-assisted survey software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Mbita HDSS covers 55,929 individuals, and the Kwale HDSS covers 42 585 individuals. In the Mbita HDSS, the life expectancy was 61.0 years for females and 57.5 years for males. Under-5 mortality was 91.5 per 1000 live births, and infant mortality was 47.0 per 1000 live births. The total fertility rate was 3.7 per woman. Data from the Kwale HDSS were not available because it has been running for less than 1 year at the time of this report.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our HDSS programs are based on a computer-assisted survey system that provides a rapid and flexible data collection platform in areas that lack an effective basic resident registration system. Although the HDSS areas are not representative of the entire country, they provide a base for several epidemiologic and social study programs, and for practical community support programs that seek to improve the health of the people in these areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of EcoEpidemiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan. skaneko@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: K'opiyo
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kiche
authors.forename: Sheru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wanyua
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Mwatasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Changoma
authors.forename: Morris
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndemwa
authors.forename: Osuke
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Komazawa
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karama
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moji
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D003710:Demography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007630:Kenya; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014798:Vital Statistics