Mecha Demographic Surveillance and Field Research Center (MDSFRC)
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The Mecha Demographic Surveillance and Field Research Center (MDSFRC), under the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Bahir Dar University, is one of the 16 research centers dedicated to advancing health research and community development. Established in 2013, the center is located in Mecha District of the Amhara Regional State, one of the most populous and diverse districts in Northwest Ethiopia.

✨ Its Vision
To become one of the top ten premier health surveillance and research centers in Africa by 2030.

🎯 Its Mission
MDSFRC is committed to:
•  Improving the health of communities under follow-up.
•  Generating valid, longitudinal health and demographic data.
•  Serving as a hub of excellence in health research, innovation, and evidence-based practices.
•  Supporting policymakers and decision-makers with high-quality research outputs.
•  Conducting participatory community services and problem-solving research.

🔑 Major Activities
•  Monitoring demographic events (birth, death, migration).
•  Assessing housing conditions.
•  Tracking health-related issues (pregnancy outcomes, immunization, morbidity, verbal autopsies).
•  Collecting data on pressing public health challenges.
•  Training, capacity building, and collaboration with national and international research partners.

🏡 Our Coverage
The center follows populations from 10 kebeles — 7 rural and 3 urban — carefully selected to represent the district’s rich geo-climatic diversity:
•  Dega (highland & cold) ❄️
•  Woyna Dega (midland & temperate) 🌱
•  Kolla (lowland & hot) ☀️
This diversity allows MDSFRC to explore how climate and geography influence morbidity, mortality, and public health outcomes across communities.

🏆 Key Achievements
•  Registered and numbered 21,260 households.
•  Completed baseline and four rounds of data collection (2015–2019 GC); 5th round is 90% complete.
•  Collected extensive datasets including verbal autopsies and disease-specific add-ons.
•  Supported 6 PhD students with research funding.
•  Secured land and infrastructure to strengthen operations.
•  Developed standards, SOPs, tools, and a website 
•  Won research projects including a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation project in collaboration with Ethiopian HDSS sites, MoH, and EPHI.
•  Published 15+ peer-reviewed articles and the official Mecha HDSS profile.
(https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/54/4/dyaf122/8205706)

•  Established strong collaborations with 13 Ethiopian HDSS sites, MoH, EPHI, and APHI.

🚀 The MDSFRC continues to grow as a center of excellence, making significant contributions to research, policy, and community well-being—shaping a healthier future for Ethiopia and beyond.

#Research #HealthInnovation #BDU #MDSFRC #CommunityImpact