Multiple Indicator Clustar Survey and Demographic and Health Survey in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: What Is the Iran’s Situation in Terms of Implementation?

Background and Objectives: One of the data sources for monitoring the progress towards Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is household surveys such as Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and Demographic and health Survey (DHS).  This study was conducted to assess the implementation of these surveys in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) to evaluate the experience of Iran in conducting these surveys and to propose one of them as the best option for implementation in Iran.   Methods: In this review article, by reviewing the databases of the relevant organizations, the implementation history, instructions, protocols, and the generated indicators of these two surveys were assessed.   Results: So far, 26 standard DHS and 56 standard MICS have been implemented in the EMR. Iraq implemented the highest number of MICS and Egypt carried out the highest number of DHS. In the global reports, no DHS/MICS surveys were conducted in Iran after 2000 However, according to the official reports, Iran conducted two rounds of a survey called MIDHS (a combination of DHS and MICS) in 2010 and 2015.   Conclusion: The EMR has performed well in implementing these surveys. According to the findings, DHS is more suitable for Iran. However, right now, what is important is not to decide which survey to be conducted. Considering the international commitments for monitoring the progress towards UHC, it is important to conduct either one in 2020 in Iran.