Dubai Household Health Survey launched.

 

United Arab Emirates, Dubai, February 7, 2019: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in collaboration with the Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC) has undertaken a Dubai Household Health Survey (DHHS). 

 

The DHHS survey, which is taking place in the Emirate for the third time, is the most comprehensive health survey in the Emirate of Dubai. The survey was first conducted in 2009. 

 

HE Humaid Al Qutami, Director General of the DHA said, “The survey is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai as it is a tool that will help us create a happy and healthy community.  It is in line with the Dubai Health Strategy 2016-2021 that emphasises on the need to foster and develop research in healthcare. The aim of the survey is to understand the needs of Dubai’s nationals and residents so that we can meet these needs by devising policies and processes after evidence-based data collection.”

 

Al Qutami added, “The survey will help us to identify strengths and gaps in the healthcare system so that we can undertake measures that are in line with our goal of providing accessible, high-quality healthcare to our population.”

 

More than 75 surveyors and 25 nurses will take part in the survey that begins on the 6th of February. 

 

Over the next six or seven weeks, the survey team will randomly select Emirati and expatriate households to carry out the health survey. About 3,000 families, that is approximately 9,000 individuals, will participate in the survey.  Surveyors will visit households to obtain detailed information on issues such as health spending, healthcare utilization, health status and treatment abroad.

 

The survey will include Emiratis and expatriates, it will take into consideration children, adults, elderly and laborers in Dubai to get a holistic view of the healthcare status and healthcare needs of the community.

 

The survey will provide a unique and unprecedented assessment of issues concerning health and healthcare in Dubai and the results of the survey will be analysed over the next two months.

 

Surveyors will randomly select households across Dubai and obtain detailed responses to several healthcare issues ranging from immunization coverage, health coverage, household expenditure on health by families, and childhood vaccinations. It will also cover questions relating to their overall physical health including daily physical activity, chronic conditions including whether respondents have experienced symptoms for diseases such as arthritis, high blood cholesterol, elevated blood lipids, diabetes and asthma.  The survey will also check whether the respondents have visited a healthcare facility and conducted medical tests over the last 30 days as well as medications they are currently taking.  

 

Additionally, the survey will also take into account hospitalization during the last 12 months, reasons for hospitalization, any operation undertaken during that period and satisfaction level with the healthcare services provided. 

 

The survey will include a series of questions related to mental health.

 

The department aims to carry out this survey in collaboration with DSC once every five years.

 

Additional information:

 

Expected outcomes of the survey:

 

1. Obtaining health related data  about  Dubai’s population 

2. Utilizing the survey outcomes for  future planning  and  resource mobilization 

3. Improving  quality of health  services  

4. Developing health policies 

5. Decision-making and planning 

6. Rationalisation of health expenditure 

7. Developing health strategies 

8. Mapping Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases(NCDs)  among Dubai’s Population 

9. Bridging gaps and weaknesses in healthcare responses