Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Innovations For Primary Health Care in Developing Countries

Abstract

Geographical information system (GIS) technology is increasingly being used in many areas of health care research and planning. 1 Applications range from the study of " classic " infectious diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis, and tubercu-losis, to cancers such as leukemia. 2 One important area in which GIS is increasingly being applied is in the design and evaluation of health care programs. 3 This application is becoming more com-mon not only in communities of industrialized countries, but in economically marginalized communities of developing countries as well. 4 The increasing avail-ability of remotely sensed data sets and other digital databases, combined with declining hardware and software prices and improvements in global positioning system (GPS) accuracy, have encouraged more widespread use. The elevated dis-ease burden in developing countries and proportion of that burden attributable to infectious diseases (often with well-defined and spatially varying covariates) make the inherent potential of GIS in developing countries considerable. In addition, due to infrastructure and cost constraints, many developing countries suffer from a lack of reliable statistics and disease reporting. GIS can help significantly in this area by filling the gaps with empirical disease modeling techniques. Public health practices need information to implement appropriate actions, and GIS is an inno-vative technology for generating this type of information. GIS is therefore consid-ered an appropriate technology for developing countries, despite the fact that it appears to contradict the principles of appropriate technology (because it can require high costs and levels of expertise).