Background: Countless research has been undertaken in sub-Saharan African countries to provide evidence for health policy
interventions. However, despite the bulk of health research, very few studies have documented the experiences and practicalities
of conducting health survey fieldwork in such settings.
Methods: Results were obtained through synthesis of notes on fieldwork experiences documented during a household survey
as part of a doctoral research project. Challenges faced and adaptive strategies developed to overcome or reduce the impact on
the survey are highlighted.
Results: Key challenges included infrastructure and electrical power outages; sampling and access to clients; ethics approval
and political stability; and safety and wellbeing of researchers. Adaptive strategies were developed to overcome the different
challenges faced.
Conclusion: The experiences highlighted and strategies developed to overcome fieldwork challenges give practical advice for
future data collection research in similar sub-Saharan African settings.