Geography and HealthUsing geography to strengthen data and improve health in the developing world

John SpencerSenior GIS SpecialistMEASURE Evaluation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Healthy population is a vital part of a functional society

Poor health significant challenge for humanity

HIV*33 million adults worldwide living with HIV (2009)

2.1 million children under 15

TB**

1.3 million people died from TB in 2008

One-third of humanity infected with TB bacilli

Malaria**

247 million cases of malaria in 2008

Every 45 seconds, a child in Africa dies of malaria (20% of all childhood deaths on the continent)

*UNAIDS

** WHO

Photo source: auldhippo, Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/auldhippo/3489898073/

Billions (if not Trillions) of dollars are spent to improve health

International aid from governments

US Government (PEPFAR, USAID, CDC, DOD) European Union United Nations

Private foundations and charities

Gates Foundation Clinton Foundation CARE

National Efforts

Programs supported by individual governments with own funds

Data is key to improving health outcomes

Data sources

Routine reporting systems and surveillance

Provide data on health programs and health incidence

National surveys Routine reporting systems

Monitoring and Evaluation

Using data to better understand and track effectiveness of services and interventions

Data streamsData streams

Geography can be the link between datasets

Everything happens somewhere

Geographic Cognizance Including geographic identifiers in data Using geography to make linkages

Decision support tools Maps Summary tables

Stronger data infrastructure Use available data to support decision making Validate and improve data

Better health outcomes Health programs and interventions that are based

on evidence are better than non-evidence based decisions

Challenges

Accuracy Accurately locating services and people How accurate is sufficient

Getting people to collect geographic data Data collection challenges Perspective that includes geography

Geography is dynamic Boundaries are fluid How to manage changes and keep record of past

geography

Everything happens somewhere