This document discusses how geography relates to health and how geographic information systems (GIS) can be used as a tool for public health efforts. Specifically, it outlines how GIS can help identify: [1] how the physical landscape affects health; [2] the location of health services and populations in need of services; and [3] how routine health information systems (RHIS) data can be analyzed spatially using GIS to identify geographic patterns. The document provides examples of how techniques like buffers, Voronoi polygons, and kernel density estimation can help assess health service availability and coverage.

1. Geography and Health

2. Objective
 To review uses of GIS as a tool to assist public
health efforts
 Identify spatial methods and techniques that can
help with health related data

3. Links between geography and
health
Geography can affect health through landscape,
location of services, location of population in need,
human interaction with landscape

4. Landscape
 How the physical landscape can affect health
 Susceptibility to natural disasters
 Standing water
 Drainage
 Positive effects?

5. GIS and Landscape

6. Location of Services and
Population in Need
 Where are health facilities?
 Are they clustered?
 Are there gaps, areas without facilities?
 How can we efficiently stock facilities?

8. Facility Service Area
 What is the coverage area for a facility?

9. Buffers
 A circle of a defined radius around a health
facility
5 km

11. Veronoi (Theissen) Polygons
 Draws boundaries around points so that areas
are equally distributed around the points.

12. Facilities

13. Facilities and Voronoi Polygons

14. Service Area and Population in
Need
 Are the services in the area where the need is
greatest?
 What is the population being served?
 Estimates of numbers of people
 Specific sub-groups

15. From Article: Kernel density estimation as a technique for assessing availability of health services in Nicaragua
Spencer, Angeles , HEALTH SERVICES AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Vol 7, Nu 3-4, p145-157

16. Routine Health Information and
GIS
 RHIS can include data from health facilities or
surveillance data, M&E data
 RHIS and GIS can work harmoniously together
to identify geographic patterns and address
public health outbreaks

19. DHIS2
 District Health
Information
System
 Free, open
source district
health based
RHIS
 HISP India

21. Survey Data
 Survey data is an important component of the
public health data infrastructure.
 Survey data includes specialized surveys such
as DHS but can also include other data such as
Census.
 To be analyzed in a GIS the data needs a
geographic identifier
 Some survey data withhold geographic identifier
for confidentiality reasons

22. Not an exhaustive list
 Other ways geography is important in health:
 Epidemiology
 Modeling social networks
 Risky behavior

23. Key points
 Public health and geography are interlinked
 Many geographic approaches for public health
issues such as calculating service areas,
underservice and using RHIS and survey data.
Any questions?

24. Thank You