The Ministry of Health (MOH) has stated that it is preparing to unveil the largest healthcare survey in the history of the Kingdom within the month of Rabie‘ Al-Awwal, 1438H (corresponding to December 2016). The survey has been conducted on more than 50,000 families, with a view to assessing the population health condition and identifying the risk factors such as lack of exercise, smoking, and others. It also aims at assessing the health system’s ability to respond to the aspirations and needs of population and knowing the extent of health services and programs coverage for population, in addition to the health expenditure at the household level, in line with the Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP).
Within the same vein, the MOH has pointed out that it aims at providing reliable and accurate data on the population health condition, with a view to surveying the Kingdom’s health indicators facing the community, as well as identifying the health problems and developing appropriate solutions for them. The Ministry also aims at ensuring the provision of highly reliable information on the Kingdom’s health situation, to be internationally comparable, and developing a database and directories to assess the performance of the health system and its ability to achieve the goals, let alone providing decision makers with necessary information to develop and guide policies, strategies and programs when necessary.
The Ministry highlighted that the number of population expected to be covered by the survey is considered the largest of its kind (totaling 250,000 people), including all age groups from birth to the elderly, with the field participation of 57 healthcare centers representing all geographic areas and demographic diversity of the Kingdom. The survey will be implemented across all regions of the Kingdom (totaling 20 regions and governorates), and will take about eight months of field visits and free laboratory tests; in an endeavor to detect diabetes, blood pressure, and fats level. The survey will include the measurements of weight and height for a sample of 25,000 people from family members; to determine Body Mass Index (BMI) for detecting obesity and weight gain. It also includes assessing the health system’s ability to respond to the aspirations and needs of population and identifying the extent of health services and programs coverage for inhabitants, in addition to the health expenditure at the household level, in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP).