Establishing a Human Development and Demographic Surveillance System in Butaro, Rwanda: A protocol paper

<jats:p>INTRODUCTION: This protocol outlines the establishment and implementation of a Human Development and Demographic Surveillance System (HD2SS) in Butaro, Rwanda. The HD2SS will facilitate prospective, continuous monitoring of the population, tracking vital statistics, social events, and key health and demographic indicators in a defined population. The system will enable accurate and validated assessment of the impact of health and related population-level interventions, supporting evidence-based decision-making and data-driven improvements in healthcare and socioeconomic outcomes at a population level.
METHODS: The HD2SS will be implemented in the Butaro sector, home to 38,013 individuals across 68 villages. The Butaro sector was purposively selected due to the existence of the University of Global Health Equity and Partners In Health-supported Butaro healthcare delivery. Data, including location, demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related variables, will be collected using the annual household census and stored using the Survey Solutions system for real-time electronic data capture, ensuring data quality, security, and confidentiality. Data analysis will enable the identification of emerging trends, the development of interventions, and the evaluation of related policies and programs.
CONCLUSION: The HD2SS will provide currently limited but much-needed data to inform improvements in public health programming and socioeconomic development and strengthen local health research capacity. Regular dissemination of findings will ensure stakeholders, including local health authorities and development partners, are informed and able to use the results to improve health and social development outcomes in Rwanda.</jats:p>