GISEpi: a simple geographical information system to support public health surveillance and epidemiological investigations

One important question for the implementation of a surveillance system concern the type of instrument that can provide timely information on the course of diseases and other health events. This may facilitate prompt implementation of prevention and intervention efforts, such as strengthening control...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computer methods and programs in biomedicine 1997-05, Vol.53 (1), p.33-45
Main Authors: Fonseca Nobre, Flávio, Luiz Braga, André, Pinheiro, Rejane Sobrino, dos Santos Lopes, João Alexandre
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Geographic information system
Geography
Humans
Malaria - epidemiology
Mapping
Population Surveillance
Public health surveillance
Software
Spatial analysis
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Summary:One important question for the implementation of a surveillance system concern the type of instrument that can provide timely information on the course of diseases and other health events. This may facilitate prompt implementation of prevention and intervention efforts, such as strengthening control action in one specific area or initiation of epidemiological investigation. Since health related variables of interest are often spatially distributed they require special tools for representation and analysis. Owing to their inherent ability to manage spatial information, geographical information systems (GIS) provide an excellent framework for the design of surveillance systems. This paper presents a simple information system, based on the concepts of GIS, designed for representation and elementary analysis of epidemiological data. An example of its potential use to support malaria control activities in Brazil is discussed.
ISSN:0169-2607
1872-7565
DOI:10.1016/S0169-2607(96)01799-3