MARIGOT/PHILIPSBURG – The first initiative project of the Observatory Sint Maarten / Saint Martin, the ‘How Healthy is Sint Maarten / Saint Martin?’ Study, has garnered the support of UTS with a donation of 70 4G LTE sim-cards to facilitate the data collection process during the upcoming field work phase of the project.
Momentarily over 90 persons are being trained to execute the door-to-door survey, after certification, a pilot survey will ensue. The results of the pilot will in turn will be a selection process facilitating the selection of 70 interviewers who will then be ready to go out into the field.
The project will consist of a digital survey via a tablet, supported by the newly introduced 4G LTE UTS network, as well as a physical measurement section. All parts are fully voluntary, and every household selected to participate will be done so fully random and anonymous. The data collected will contribute to the creation of evidence-based policy and programming catering to the needs of the population, it is therefore of utter importance to have all selected persons participate.
The Observatory and the Health Study are ground breaking on its own, being the first cross-border initiative and study to have ever been executed locally. An initiative that started in 2012 and officiated in 2014, with both Governments and Public Health Stakeholders collaborating to improve the health of the population through (improved) policies, programs, and services.
The Observatory is grateful for the local support the initiative the project has been receiving, especially the facilitation of data gathering through UTS’s new 4G network.
PHOTO CUTLINE: L to R: Dr. Louis Jeffry, French physician, President of the Observatory, Fleur Hermanides, Public Health Policy Advisor, and Ivy Lambert, Marketing & Communication Officer UTS. (Photo contributed)
