The report of the Demographic and Health Survey – 2016 conducted jointly by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) and the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine (MoHNIM) launched on 18^th September 2017. The First copy of the report on SLDHS – 2016 was presented to Mr. Faizal Cassim, the Hon. Deputy Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine.

Data collected in this survey include demographic and household characteristics of the housing units and health related information from ever married women in the re-productive age group (15 – 49 years) and their children below 5 years of age. Background characteristics of those women, reproductive history, knowledge and use of family planning methods, prenatal and postnatal care, child immunization, health and nutrition, fertility preferences, spouse’s background and women’s work, knowledge about AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), awareness about well-women clinics and children who need special care etc. are key themes of information gathered in the SLDHS – 2016.

The SLDHS – 2016 reveals that the total fertility rate among women in the reproductive age now stands at 2.2. Contraceptive prevalence rate which reflects the use of contraceptives among currently married women stands at 65 percent. Director General Dr. A.J. Satharasinghe commenting on the findings said that according to the findings of the survey almost all pregnancies have received antenatal care. Child mortality, Infant mortality, & under 5 child mortality continued to be declined indicating remarkable achievements. He further added that the report “Demographic and Health Survey – 2016” contains number of key indicators and soft copy of the report has been published in the DCS website www.statistics.gov.lk. The report provides lot of information leading to informed decision making in further up lifting the health sector of the country.

The Director General of Health Services Dr. Jayasundara Bandara, Deputy Director General (NCD) and Project Director (Second Health Sector Development Project – Component II) Dr. (Mrs) S.C Wickramasinghe, of Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and Dr. A.J. Satharasinghe Director General, Mrs. I.R. Bandara ADG of DCS and officials from the both institutions as well as number of invitees from many other government and non-government institutes attended the launching ceremony.