About the cohort
The Mecha Demographic Surveillance and Field Research Center (Mecha HDSS) is one of Bahir Dar University's 16 research centers, located in Mecha district, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, about 35 km southwest of Bahir Dar.
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Established in 2013 and operated by the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, it covers ten kebeles (three urban, seven rural) selected to reflect the district's varied geo-climatic zones-Dega (highland), Woina (midland), and Kolla (lowland). The site aims to become one of Africa's top ten health and demographic surveillance systems (HDSS) by 2050.
Mecha HDSS monitors demographic events such as births, deaths, and migration; health-related conditions like pregnancy outcomes, immunization, morbidity; and conducts verbal autopsies to determine causes of death. It began with 20,601 households and now follows 74,000 individuals. The center has completed four biannual surveillance rounds and is currently in its fifth.
The center's mission is to improve population health through evidence-based practices, community engagement, and high-quality research. Its goals include conducting regular surveillance, generating longitudinal data, supporting decision-making, and offering training and advisory services.
Guided by core values such as ethical practice, innovation, inclusiveness, and collaboration, Mecha HDSS strives to become a regional and continental leader in public health research.
Data domains
- Migration and mobility
- Sociodemographic and household data
Research home
Lead institutionBahir Dar University
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Profile provenance
- APCC record
- 154
- Membership
- Full Member
- Custodian status
- Requires custodian validation
- Schema
- 2.4.0