Public health GIS news and information

I. Public health GIS (and related) events: special NCHS/CDC GIS lectures -- II. GIS news. A. General news and training opportunities -- GIS news. B. Department of Health and Human Services -- GIS news. C. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACUs), and other minority health news -- GIS news. D. Other related public health GIS news -- III. GIS outreach -- IV. Public health GIS presentations and literature -- V. Related Census, HHS, FGDC and other federal/state developments -- Final thoughts [GIS and Public Health 2006: Starting the Year with Research Momentum] -- Appendix: Mapping health inequalities: Heart disease deaths, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 1997 to 2001 (by Terry Lenahan) [Twelfth in Collaborative Series: See May, July, September, November 2004, January, March, May, July, September, November 2005; and January 2006].OtherOthe

Public health GIS news and information

I. Public health GIS (and related) events: special NCHS/CDC GIS lectures -- II. GIS news. A. General news and training opportunities -- GIS news. B. Department of Health and Human Services -- GIS news. C. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACUs), and other minority health news -- GIS news. D. Other related public health GIS news -- III. GIS outreach -- IV. Public health GIS presentations and literature -- V. Related Census, HHS, FGDC and other federal/state developments -- Final thoughts [The Chronic Poverty Report 2004\ue2\u20ac\u201c05] -- Appendix: Mapping health inequalities: Hunger and poverty increasing in the suburbs, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 2000 to 2005 (by Terry Lenahan) [Fourteenth in Collaborative Series: See May, July, September, November 2004, January, March, May, July, September, November 2005; and January, March, May 2006 editions].OtherOthe

Implementation of Web Based GIS Application for Mapping of Health Facilities, Services and Providers in Malaysia

Background: This study is to design, develop, create, deploy, test and deliver, together with documentation, help manual and training for web based GIS application of health facilities and services under Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Methods: The system is web-based mapping and navigation can be used with Internet such as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. The development of web mapping system was programmed by using Arc GIS Server. Tools and GIS software functions will be simplified to allow the search and analysis process can be done more easily. Results: There are four modules in the system created. First module is view for display list of health facilities in the system. Second module is search to obtain information on health facilities, services, providers and specialty. Third module is analysis for gathered an area of geographic information, get ratios facilities, services, and providers of services to the population, analysis of the buffer zone (buffer) to find coverage of a health facility for a certain distance and other geo statistical analysis. Last module is tools for issue the results of the analysis in the form of tables, graphs and maps that can be stored or printed. The system is controlled by the administrator where users need to request to use this application. Discussions: Web mapping can be expanding by using smart phones and tablet that supports Android, iOS and Windows phone. This system can also know the distribution of the disease in real time by appropriate user can update through online. Web mapping application enables user to use the GIS database has information facilities, services and service providers without having to have a deep knowledge in the field of GIS or using GIS software. Conclusions: This system assists stakeholders in the Ministry of Health in planning and developing facilities and services in Malaysia. It also to reducing the use of human resources especially in monitoring and providing health services information an

Public health GIS news and information

I. Public health GIS (and related) events: special NCHS/CDC GIS lectures -- II. GIS news. A. General news and training opportunities -- GIS news. B. Department of Health and Human Services -- GIS news. C. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACUs), and other minority health news -- GIS news. D. Other related agency or GIS news -- III. GIS outreach -- IV. Public health GIS presentations and literature [NCHS/CDC Cartography and GIS Guest Lecture: \ue2\u20ac\u153Housing and urban development activities: a public health perspective,\ue2\u20ac? by Jonathan Sperling, Ph.D., Manager, Geographic Information Analysis, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.] -- V. Related Census, HHS, FGDC and other federal/state developments -- Final thoughts [The Growing importance of GIS and community health indicator data] -- Appendix: Mapping health inequalities: Youths five to 15 with disabilities , Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 2002 (by Joseph Ahern and Terry Lenahan) [Seventh in Series: See also May, July, September, November 2004, January and March 2005 editions].OtherOthe

Geographic Information System and tools of spatial analysis in a pneumococcal vaccine trial

Background: The goal of this Geographic Information System (GIS) study was to obtain accurate information on the locations of study subjects, road network and services for research purposes so that the clinical outcomes of interest (e.g., vaccine efficacy, burden of disease, nasopharyngeal colonization and its reduction) could be linked and analyzed at a distance from health centers, hospitals, doctors and other important services. The information on locations can be used to investigate more accurate crowdedness, herd immunity and/or transmission patterns. Method. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of an 11-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (11PCV) was conducted in Bohol Province in central Philippines, from July 2000 to December 2004. We collected the information on the geographic location of the households (N = 13,208) of study subjects. We also collected a total of 1982 locations of health and other services in the six municipalities and a comprehensive GIS data over the road network in the area. Results: We calculated the numbers of other study subjects (vaccine and placebo recipients, respectively) within the neighborhood of each study subject. We calculated distances to different services and identified the subjects sharing the same services (calculated by distance). This article shows how to collect a complete GIS data set for human to human transmitted vaccine study in developing country settings in an efficient and economical way. Conclusions: The collection of geographic locations in intervention trials should become a routine task. The results of public health research may highly depend on spatial relationships among the study subjects and between the study subjects and the environment, both natural and infrastructural.Peer reviewe

GIS applications in aquatic environment

Globally, on an average, GIS tools save billions of dollars annually in the delivery of goods and services through proper route planning. GIS regularly help in the day-to-day management of many natural and man-made resources, including sewer, water, power, and transportation networks. Applications of GIS in marine and coastal ecosystem study is an emerging field today. GIS help us identify and address environmental problems by providing crucial information on where problems occur and who are affected by them. It also helps us identify the source, location and extent of adverse environmental impacts. GIS enable us to devise practical plans for monitoring, managing, and mitigating environmental damage. Human impacts on the environment, conflicts in resource use, concerns about pollution, and precautions to protect public health have spurred a strong societal push for the adoption of GIS

A GIS-driven integrated real-time surveillance pilot system for national West Nile virus dead bird surveillance in Canada

BACKGROUND: An extensive West Nile virus surveillance program of dead birds, mosquitoes, horses, and human infection has been launched as a result of West Nile virus first being reported in Canada in 2001. Some desktop and web GIS have been applied to West Nile virus dead bird surveillance. There have been urgent needs for a comprehensive GIS services and real-time surveillance. RESULTS: A pilot system was developed to integrate real-time surveillance, real-time GIS, and Open GIS technology in order to enhance West Nile virus dead bird surveillance in Canada. Driven and linked by the newly developed real-time web GIS technology, this integrated real-time surveillance system includes conventional real-time web-based surveillance components, integrated real-time GIS components, and integrated Open GIS components. The pilot system identified the major GIS functions and capacities that may be important to public health surveillance. The six web GIS clients provide a wide range of GIS tools for public health surveillance. The pilot system has been serving Canadian national West Nile virus dead bird surveillance since 2005 and is adaptable to serve other disease surveillance. CONCLUSION: This pilot system has streamlined, enriched and enhanced national West Nile virus dead bird surveillance in Canada, improved productivity, and reduced operation cost. Its real-time GIS technology, static map technology, WMS integration, and its integration with non-GIS real-time surveillance system made this pilot system unique in surveillance and public health GIS

Public health GIS news and information

I. Public health GIS (and related) events: special NCHS/CDC GIS lectures -- II. GIS news. A. General news and training opportunities -- GIS news. B. Department of Health and Human Services -- GIS news. C. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACUs), and other minority health news -- GIS news. D. Other related agency or GIS news -- III. GIS outreach -- IV. Public health GIS presentations and literature [Notice: The guest lecture series will resume in the Fall, 2005, following a brief summer break.] -- V. Related Census, HHS, FGDC and other federal/state developments -- Final thoughts [11th International Medical Geography Symposium, Fort Worth, TX July 5-9, 2005] -- Appendix: Mapping health inequalities: Child Maltreatment, 1992 to 2002 (by Terry Lenahan) [Eighth in Series: See also May, July, September, November 2004, January, March and May 2005 editions].OtherOthe

The role of green infrastructures in Italian cities by linking natural and social capital

none3noUrban growth causes numerous threats to human well-being, as a consequence of the loss and degradation of urban and peri-urban green spaces. This research aims to investigate the possible role of green infrastructures (GIs), as providers of ecosystem services, in enhancing urban well-being in the 116 Italian provincial capital cities. The analysis has been based on the conceptual model proposed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) (2005) to explain how the four categories of ecosystem services (supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural) and the components of human well-being are interrelated. In order to perform the assessment, the most suitable indicators of social capital and green infrastructures have been identified from the panel of indices and indicators provided by national official statistics. The corresponding analysis has highlighted that northern Italian cities are characterized by simple but well-managed green infrastructures and wooded areas, with the highest level of social cohesion and inclusion associated with a high value of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. The southern part of the country is characterized mainly by “Historical greens” and high levels of health and social security but low levels of income, social inclusion and cohesion. This research represents a first attempt to link the different typologies of green infrastructures with the provision of ecosystem services. Given the recognized contribution of GIs in preserving natural habitats in an urban context, the SLOSS (single large or several small) debate, typically applied for conservation purposes, could also be appropriate for GIs. Therefore, it could be necessary to investigate whether fewer large nature preserves (large urban parks), or a patchwork of smaller green areas can better enhance human well-being in an urban context.openDonatella Valente, Maria Rita Pasimeni, Irene PetrosilloValente, Donatella; Rita Pasimeni, Maria; Petrosillo, Iren