[afro-nets] WHO Global InfoBase

["Claudio Schuftan" <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

WHO Global InfoBase
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From: "Strong, Kathleen L." <strongk@who.int>

The WHO Global InfoBase (http://infobase.who.int) is a data warehouse that collects, stores and displays information on chronic diseases and their risk factors (overweight/obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol, alcohol, tobacco use, fruit/vegetable intake, physical inactivity, diabetes) for all WHO member states.

The InfoBase was developed in 2002 to improve the access of public health professionals to country-level chronic disease risk factor data with traceable sources and full survey methodology. Currently, this data warehouse holds over 500,000 data points from 9,500 surveys representing 186 countries. The InfoBase on-line tool receives approximately 16,000 hits per day from Ministries of Health around the world researchers and journalists seeking this information. InfoBase Online

On our site you have the following options:
1. Compare Countries using WHO Estimates for certain available risk factors and other indicators
2. Country Profile to look at the most recent most nationally representative data collected by a country on a risk factor
3. Search Surveys to look at  all country collected data on risk factors that we have entered into the InfoBase

The InfoBase team provides comprehensive advice to researchers on the uses and potential biases in country-reported survey data and how to use data for international comparisons. Please contact us at
infobase@who.int to benefit from our experience. The InfoBase is a USER DRIVEN tool. We respond to requests for information and help you to make the best possible choices when using data for research and advocacy.

An automated demonstration shows how easy it is to use this important public health tool:
http://www.who.int/ncd_surveillance/infobase/web/InfoBaseCommon/Help/PopUpHelp.aspx?id=301&lang=EN

--
Claudio Schuftan
mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn