Bridging the Gap: GPSSample – An Innovative Tool for Enumeration and Sampling in Health Surveys

Global Gap: Updated population estimates and total households (HHs) per area, typically obtained through a census, are used to construct unbiased sampling frames necessary for accurate estimates in health surveys. These population and HH estimates are used to select a smaller representative sample of enumeration areas (EAs) to visit for a public health study. Several methods exist to select which HHs to visit at the EA level including systematic sampling (every n HH), geographically sampling structures using satellite imagery, segmenting an area, and mapping and listing all HHs in the selected EA. Accurate estimates are essential for public health programming and response; however, forty-two countries have not conducted a census for over a decade (United Nations Statistics Division 2024). Instead, programs often generate an accurate sampling frame by enumerating HHs within selected EAs obtaining answers to eligibility criteria, drawing a sample from this enumerated list, and navigating back to selected HHs. This requires considerable resources. To date, no free mobile-based application exists to streamline these processes