Emerging Approaches for Measuring Population Health

In this course, you will learn about traditional and emerging techniques in population-level data collection that can be used to strengthen public health programs and policies. Experts from around the world will define and explain key concepts in the design and implementation of population-based surveys, focusing on the use of emerging survey techniques such as mobile phone and web-based surveys, health services data and health information systems, and population-based health registries. You will learn about how these data can be used to inform population-level decision-making, and the application of a gender and equity lens to ensure they are tracking and responsive to the needs of populations.

Our overarching goals for the course are to support the collection of population-level health data, track trends, plan interventions, and enhance the monitoring of major risk factors for early death – especially from non-communicable diseases. The course is the result of a collaboration among multiple partners, including Vital Strategies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Rwanda Ministry of Health, United Nations, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the World Health Organization. This course was funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, with co-funding from the Australian government and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.