(May 2011) The global evidence base for the linkages between the harmful impact of violence on women’s health and that of their children continues to grow. The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program is a unique resource that captures information on many aspects of maternal health as well as—for an increasing number of countries—information on domestic violence. This presentation highlights preliminary analyses exploring the intersection between domestic violence experienced by women and maternal health using DHS data from six sub-Saharan African countries (DRC, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, and Zambia).

Holley Stewart is a senior technical advisor with PRB’s International Programs, and serves as the maternal and reproductive health specialist on the USAID-funded Africa’s Health in 2010 project managed by AED. Since 2002, she has been working on the development, promotion, and adoption of policies and strategies for the improvement of reproductive and maternal-newborn health programs in sub-Saharan Africa—focusing on health policy reform and implementation, and the dissemination of evidenced-based interventions to improve spacing of births, reduce maternal mortality, increase newborn survival, and promote health and development of adolescents.

Stewart Presentation (PDF: 178KB)

Stewart Notes (PDF: 20KB)