Measurement of reproductive health indicators in Ethiopia: A mixed method study

Various reproductive health (RH) indicators have been formulated and used to measure RH services and status. Despite their widespread use, the measurement of these indicators has never been explored in a systematic manner. This study aimed to examine methods and methodologies in the measurement of common RH indicators in the Ethiopian context.

A mixed-method design, comprising in-depth expert interviews, the abstraction of information from relevant public documents and an analysis of peer-reviewed literature, was used. Information from these three sources was then organised and synthesised using a thematic approach.

Until now, routine health information system and demographic and health survey have been the primary sources for RH indicators in Ethiopia. A number of improvements have recently been made in data collection and aggregation methods; however, the focus has been more on the coverage of services than the quality of data. We noted that variations were observed in indicator definition between the two data sources and, as a consequence, in their estimates. It was found that many of the inherent limitations in the measurement of RH indicators could be addressed by making small modifications to the data sources and the reporting formats. Data quality concerns mainly occur at the point of data collection although there are also issues with data aggregation, dissemination and use.

There is a gap in the measurement of the quality and continuity of RH services. Many of the limitations and data quality concerns in the measurement of RH indicators could be resolved with minimal improvements to the current health information system.