: The preliminary work for the fourth National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4), under the auspices of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has begun with the mapping of primary sampling units and listing of households identified for the survey.
The first phase of activity began in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts. Mapping of PSUs and listing of households in other districts too will be done before the final survey is conducted. The National survey is being held across 35 States and Union Territories and is aimed at developing a database in health and development issues that will help in the country’s planning establishment and welfare programmes. Addressing a media conference here, Krishna Kumari and Harikumar, State coordinators appointed by the International Institute of Population Science, said the field research team of NFHS 4 in Kerala will be involved in data gathering process in two phases.
The first phase will witness mapping and listing of 538 primary sampling units spread over 14 districts. The second phase will witness the Household Survey. The study is meant to yield estimates of levels of fertility, infant and child mortality, other family welfare and health indicators by background characteristics at the national and State level, measure trends in family welfare and health indicators over time at the national and State levels.
The IIPS, a deemed university under the MoHFW, is the national nodal agency for NFHS 4. The IIPS is conducting the survey in Kerala in association with the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses, Delhi. Field investigators will collect data of village and households, and the health status of resident members. However, the participation of households is voluntary and all information provided by households would be kept confidential and used only for research purposes, they said. .
