GIS and public health mapping

What is GIS?

Using GIS to map public health data

Geographic information systems (GIS) is a computer-aided database management and mapping technology that organizes and stores large amounts of multi-purpose information. GIS adds the dimmension of geographic analysis to information technology by providing an interface between the data and a map. This makes it easy to present information to key decision-makers quickly, efficiently and effectively.

Geographic information systems and remote sensing from earth-observing satellites are sophisticated and powerful technologies that are finding applications far beyond those originally intended. Both are products of the Cold War developed by departments of defence for military purposes. Together, they allow near real-time access to data on temperature, soil, elevation, patterns of land use, and phases of vegetation in addition to the precise geographic location of water bodies, population centres, buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Their use for purposes ranging from the search for natural resources to transportation engineering, urban design, and agricultural planning was quickly recognized and exploited.

GIS for public health

Geographic information systems and remote sensing have capabilities that are ideally suited for use in infectious disease surveillance and control, particularly for the many vector-borne neglected diseases that are often found in poor populations in remote rural areas. They are also highly relevant to meet the demands of outbreak investigation and response, where prompt location of cases, rapid communication of information, and quick mapping of the epidemic’s dynamics are vital. However, until recently, the use of these tools in public health were largely limited in use due to two major problems: the prohibitive cost of hardware and the great complexity of GIS software that made it extremely time-consuming as well as costly to extract information relevant to the practical demands of disease prevention and control.

The situation has changed dramatically over the past few years. Hardware prices have plummeted, simple new devices are now available, and a new generation of civilian satellites is in orbit, circling the world. The Public Health Mapping and GIS programme, based within WHO Communicable Diseases, has been developed with the goal of providing greater access to simple, low-cost geographic information and related data management and mapping systems to public health administrators at all levels of the health system.

Uses of GIS in public health

Mapping communities and healthcare in Burkina Faso

• Determining geographic distribution of diseases
• Analysing spatial and temporal trends
• Mapping populations at risk
• Stratifying risk factors
• Assessing resource allocation
• Planning and targeting interventions
• Monitoring diseases and interventions over time

Just as satellites and the Internet led to an explosion of information, these technologies are making it possible to acquire high-quality epidemiological data with a precision and speed that could not have been imagined a decade ago.