Profile: Manhiça Health Research Centre (Manhiça HDSS)

Abstract

The Manhiça Health Research Centre, established in 1996 in a rural area of southern Mozambique, currently follows around 92 000 individuals living in approximately 20 000 enumerated and geo-pos- itioned households. Its main strength is the possibility of linking demographic data and clinical data to promote and conduct bio- medical research in priority health areas. Socio-demographic data are updated twice a year and clinical data are collected on a daily basis. The data collected in Manhiça HDSS comprises household and individual characteristics, household socio-economic assets, vital data, migration, individual health history and cause of death, among others. Studies conducted in this HDSS contributed to guide the health authorities and decision-making bodies to define or adjust health policies such as the introduction of Mozambique’s expanded programme of immunization with differ- ent vaccines (Haemophilus influenzae type b, Pneumococcus) or the development of the concept of Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Infants (IPTi) that led to the World Health Organization recom- mendation of this method as best practice for the control of malaria among infants. Manhiça’s data can be accessed through a formal request to Diana Quelhas (diana.quelhas@manhica.net) accompa- nied by a proposal that will be analysed by the Manhiça HDSS internal scientific and ethics committees.