Date: 31 July 2025
Time: 14:30-16:30
Location: ZOOM & Sala Cambournac | IHMT-NOVA
The global health research landscape has been transformed by the growing number and volume of community surveys (CS) such as Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). These data have been collected through coloboration between in country teams and Global Institutions such as USAID, UNICEF, and WB. These surveys are nationally representative and are crucial for monitoring and evaluating the impact of health and development programmes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. CS data covers a wide range of topics, including fertility, mortality, family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, and diseases as HIV and malaria offering opportunities for research questions and secondary data analysis beyond the original survey goals.
Although vastly still unused due to issues of quality, representativeness and misinformation routinely collected health data is gaining attention. This data includes sources such as disease registries, primary care databases, health administrative data, electronic health records and public health reporting data. These diverse datasets offer a cost-effective and efficient way to conduct research and inform decisions in clinical medicine, health services planning and public health. Governments and funding bodies worldwide are prioritising the use of this data to enhance patient care, transform health research and improve healthcare efficiency. While the abundance of health data offers vast research potential, it also presents significant challenges. Researchers struggle to understand the strengths, limitations and biases of various data sources due to their broad spectrum and the field’s rapid expansion. These challenges are exacerbated by the incomplete or inadequate reporting of research using this data.
About Orvalho Augusto
Orvalho Augusto is a medical doctor and public health expert with a deep focus on demography, epidemiology, and biostatistics. He holds a Master in Global Health and a PhD in Global Health-Health Metrics & Implementation Science from the University of Washington, WA, USA. Currently, he is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health. He has collaborated with Professor Kenneth Sherr to advance the field of implementation science and health systems research. Over the past 15 years, he has led extensive quantitative analyses and data management for public health studies in Mozambique, focusing on HIV epidemiology, maternal health, and the resilience of health systems.
He was a lecturer at Eduardo Mondlane University, teaching and mentoring students in research methodologies and epidemiology to foster robust analytical skills. He also worked as a demographic data analyst at the Manhiça Health Research Centre, where he applied his expertise in experimental and quasi-experimental research design and data management to inform evidence-based health strategies. His work supports policies and interventions that improve access to healthcare and outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations in settings with limited resources. He is passionate about using a data-driven approach to improve social and health services, in line with the mission to enhance community well-being through informed, impactful research.
If you are a GHTM member, you will receive the details of the session by e-mail. If you are not a GHTM member and would like to join the session, please contact us at ghtm-info@ihmt.unl.pt.