District level household and facility survey (DLHS-3) 2007-08: West Bengal/ International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Background and objectives of the survey -- Survey design, sample size and design weight -- Implementation and quality control -- Survey instruments -- Household and village background -- Characteristics of women and fertility -- Maternal health care -- Child health care and immunization -- Family planning and contraceptive use -- Reproductive health and awareness of RTIs/STIs and HIV/AIDS -- Infertility and childlessness -- Family life education among unmarried women -- Reproductive health and awareness of contraceptive, RTIs/STIs and HIV/AIDS among unmarried women -- Health facilities- availability and quality

The third round of the District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3) carried out during 2007-08 was designed to collect data at district level on various aspects of health care utilization for Reproductive & Child Health (RCH), accessibility of health facilities, assess the effectiveness of ASHA and JSY in promoting RCH care, to assess health facility capacity and preparedness in terms of infrastructure. The integration of facility survey with the household survey was done with a view to link the RCH care outcomes to health facility accessibility, availability of medical & paramedical manpower and other village infrastructure. The broad objective of DLHS-3 is to provide RCH outcome indicators at the district level in order to monitor and provide corrective measures to the NRHM. The other important objective is to assess the contribution of decentralization of primary health care at the district level and below by way of involving village health and sanitation committees under the Panchayats in the implementation of health care programmes.
The main focus and objectives of DLHS-3 is to provide RCH indicators covering the following aspects:
• Coverage of antenatal check up and immunization services • Institutional/safe deliveries • JSY Beneficiaries • Contraceptive prevalence rates • Unmet need for family planning • Awareness about RTIS/STIs and HIV/AIDS • Family life education among unmarried adolescent girls • ASHA's involvement • Health facility and infrastructure
The District Level Household and Facility Survey, 2007-08 (DLHS-3) is the third in the series of district level household surveys. The first one was conducted in 1998-99 followed by the second in 2002-04. For all the three DLHS, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of India (Gol) designated the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the Nodal Agency responsible for the development of survey design, instruments, data entry and tabulation software, training, supervision of field work, analysis and report writing. The sources of funds for DLHS-3 are the MOHFW, Gol and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) constituted by the MOHFW, Gol guided the designing, implementation, progress, tabulation, basis of selection of RCH indicators and consistency issues.