Presenter(s): Madeleine Getz — Anthropology
Co-Presenter(s): Micah Warner-Carey, Rosa Taylor
Faculty Mentor(s): Josh Snodgrass, Alicia DeLouize
Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation
The Global Health Biomarker Laboratory (GHBL) is collaborating with the World Health Organization to plan and implement the World Health Survey Plus (WHS+). The WHS+ is an expansion on the original World Health Survey, a project conducted during 2002-2004 in 69 countries with over 3,000 participants. The WHS+ is a flexible and comprehensive data collection system that provides countries with the ability to monitor progress towards health goals and obtains high-quality, nationally representative data on health, social, economic, and policy topics. This project aims to fill data gaps globally and improve health equity within and between countries. By developing protocols, training videos, and technical expertise on point-of-care biomarker implementation, the GHBL is at the forefront of implementing new point-of-care technologies (POCT); the WHS+ biomarkers are hemoglobin as an indicator of anemia, HbA1C and glucose as indicators of diabetes risk, and lipids as indicators of hypolipidemia and cardiovascular risk. Additionally, the survey is collecting anthropometrics, blood pressure, pulse, hand grip strength, walking speed, and cognitive function as direct measures of health. We are currently in the early stages of methods development and implementation; the WHS+ has the potential not only to help countries provide more equitable and sustainable healthcare and promote country-specific care-seeking behaviors, but also to further our global knowledge of healthcare and disease.