Training on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Public Health and Epidemiology

Module 1: Introduction to GIS and Public Health

• Key GIS concepts and applications in health

• The role of spatial thinking in epidemiology

• Case Study: WHO’s use of GIS in mapping malaria prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa

Module 2: Fundamentals of Spatial Data

• Types and sources of spatial data (raster, vector, GPS, surveys)

• Coordinate systems and projections

• Collecting and cleaning health-related spatial data

• Case Study: Using satellite imagery to track environmental risk factors for dengue

Module 3: GIS Software Tools and Basics

• Overview of ArcGIS, QGIS, and open-source tools

• Importing and managing health data

• Practical exercise: Creating a base map of health facilities

Module 4: Mapping and Visualization Techniques

• Principles of effective health map design

• Symbolization, labeling, and thematic mapping

• Practical exercise: Mapping child immunization coverage

• Case Study: Polio eradication campaigns supported by GIS mapping in Nigeria

Module 5: Spatial Analysis for Epidemiology

• Disease hotspot and cluster detection

• Proximity analysis for health services

• Case Study: Cholera outbreak mapping and containment in Haiti

• Exercise: Identifying clusters in a simulated outbreak dataset

Module 6: GIS in Disease Surveillance and Outbreak Response

• Linking GIS with surveillance systems

• Real-time disease mapping and dashboards

• Case Study: GIS role in the COVID-19 Johns Hopkins global dashboard

• Exercise: Mapping an epidemic curve spatially

Module 7: Health Services Accessibility and Resource Allocation

• Mapping service coverage and underserved areas

• Travel time analysis for accessing care

• Case Study: Ebola treatment center placement in Sierra Leone and Liberia

• Simulation: Allocating resources during a regional outbreak

Module 8: Integrating GIS with Public Health Data Systems

• Combining GIS with survey and census data

• Linking GIS with monitoring and evaluation frameworks

• Exercise: Building an integrated health indicator map

• Case Study: UNICEF’s use of GIS to monitor maternal and child health in East Africa

Module 9: Communicating Results with GIS

• Turning maps into actionable information for decision-makers

• Dashboards, reports, and advocacy tools

• Group exercise: Preparing a GIS-based policy brief

• Case Study: Using GIS maps for HIV/AIDS program advocacy in South Africa

Module 10: Capstone Project and Action Planning

• Participants design a GIS-based health project from data collection to reporting

• Presentations of projects with peer and facilitator feedback

• Developing individual action plans for applying GIS in participants’ organizations

• Case Study: Integrating GIS into a malaria elimination strategy in Zanzibar