World Health Survey

Current Status of the World Health Survey

• WHO Survey Data Center
  Data from the WHS are now available through a WHO-run NADA site. Please use the electronic online submission process to request access to the data.
  Important note: the sagesurvey@who.int mail account was inactivated from
  19 November 2012 to 21 January 2013. If you submitted a request during this period kindly resend it. Sincere apologies for this interruption.

Map of World Health Survey Countries

• World Health Survey Results!

Basic tabulations from each of the different modules of the World Health Survey are available.

• More information on the current status of the WHS

About the World Health Survey

WHO developed and implemented the World Health Survey to compile comprehensive baseline information on the health of populations, and baseline evidence on the way health systems are currently functioning.

Objectives of the WHS

• Develop a means of providing low-cost, valid, reliable and comparable information.
• Build the evidence base to monitor whether health systems are achieving the desired goals.
• Provide policy-makers with the evidence they need to adjust their policies, strategies and programmes as necessary.

Interaction with Countries and Health Information Systems (HIS)

The WHS was developed in individual countries through consultation with policy-makers and in collaboration with the people involved in routine HIS. It was intended to be complementary to their efforts, to ensure periodic data input in a cost-effective way so that important gaps in health information are covered. It will also establish a baseline for efforts to scale-up health activities.

More information on WHS

• Survey Instruments and Related Documents
  Includes: The long and short versions of the questionnaire divided into the household and individual sections. The Guide To Administration And Question By Question Specifications . The Survey Manual. Documents on Data Collection, Data Cleaning and the GEO Subset
• General Information
  Includes: Implementation of the surveys. Choice of survey methods. How to participate. The World Health Survey Brochure. A discussion paper on the WHO Multi-country Survey Study on Health and Responsiveness 2000-2001
• List of participating countries
• Sampling Guidelines
  pdf, 183kb
  The WHO sampling policy. Stratification. Multi-stage cluster section. Probability Sampling. Selection of households. Selection of individuals from household roster. Domain coverage. Geographic information systems. Information for WHO headquarters checklist.
• Training presentations
  Includes: Introduction & Overview. Cross-population Comparability. Household Questionnaire. Individual Questionnaire. Interviewing Techniques. Quality Assurance. GIS-GPS. Sampling. Data Entry. Translation. Data Analysis. Training. Survey Implementation. Country Reports
• List of publications based on the World Health Survey
  pdf, 178kb