Data Resource Profile: The sentinel panel of districts: Tanzania's national platform for health impact evaluation

Int J Epidemiol. 2015 Feb;44(1):79-86. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyu223. Epub 2014 Nov 29.

Abstract

The Sentinel Panel of Districts (SPD) consists of 23 districts selected to provide nationally representative data on demographic and health indicators in Tanzania. The SPD has two arms: SAVVY and FBIS. SAVVY (SAmple Vital registration with Verbal autopsY) is a demographic surveillance system that provides nationally representative estimates of mortalities based on age, sex, residence and zone. SAVVY covers over 805 000 persons, or about 2% of the Tanzania mainland population, and uses repeat household census every 4-5 years, with ongoing reporting of births, deaths and causes of deaths. The FBIS (Facility-Based Information System) collects routine national health management information system data. These health service use data are collected monthly at all public and private health facilities in SPD districts, i.e. about 35% of all facilities in Mainland Tanzania. Both SAVVY and FBIS systems are capable of generating supplementary information from nested periodic surveys. Additional information about the design of the SPD is available online: access to some of SPD's aggregate data can be requested by sending an e-mail to [hmasanja@ihi.or.tz].

Keywords: Health facility surveillance; demographic and mortality surveillance; representative sample; sub-Saharan Africa.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Causality
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Data Collection / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Public Health Surveillance / methods*
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Sex Distribution
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Tanzania / epidemiology
  • Vital Statistics*
  • Young Adult