Gridded birth and pregnancy datasets for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean

Understanding the fine scale spatial distribution of births and pregnancies is crucial for informing planning decisions related to public health. This is especially important in lower income countries where infectious disease is a major concern for pregnant women and new-borns, as highlighted by the recent Zika virus epidemic. Despite this, the spatial detail of basic data on the numbers and distribution of births and pregnancies is often of a coarse resolution and difficult to obtain, with no co-ordination between countries and organisations to create one consistent set of subnational estimates. To begin to address this issue, under the framework of the WorldPop program, an open access archive of high resolution gridded birth and pregnancy distribution datasets for all African, Latin America and Caribbean countries has been created. Datasets were produced using the most recent and finest level census and official population estimate data available and are at a resolution of 30 arc seconds (approximately 1 km at the equator). All products are available through WorldPop

Mapping and Classifying Settlement Locations

“Mapping and Classifying Settlement Locations” discusses GRID3’s work on collecting and analyzing settlements data. GRID3’s settlements work has two areas of focus: creating a comprehensive settlement layer that enables a real-world picture of communities, and using building footprints, geospatial data layers, and machine learning algorithms to classify structures and local areas within settlements. The paper also discusses the applications of GRID3’s methods in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. GRID3 works with countries to generate, validate and use geospatial data on population, settlements, infrastructure, and subnational boundaries. For more information, see https://grid3.org/. Keywords: area-level classification; building footprints; comprehensive settlement layer; extent; intra-settlement categorisation; machine learning; polygon layer; point layer; settlement; settlement data; settlement layer; settlement mapping; settlement point; ; GRID3; database schema; geospatial data; neighbourhood classification; open-source; health zones; participatory cartography; GIS; vaccination; immunisation; census; micro-plans; CIESIN; UNFPA; Flowminder; WorldPop; probability model; areal; built-up areas; small settlements; hamlets; hamlet areas; polio; Afric

Modelling public health benefits of various emission control options to reduce NO2 concentrations in Guangzhou

The local government of the megacity of Guangzhou, China, has established an annual average NO2 concentration target of 40 μg m−3 to achieve by 2020. However, the Guangzhou Ambient Air Quality Compliance Plan does not specify what constitutes compliance with this target. We investigated a range of ambition levels for emissions reductions required to meet different possible interpretations of compliance using a hybrid dispersion and land-use regression model approach. We found that to reduce average annual-mean NO2 concentration across all current monitoring sites to below 40 μg m−3 (i.e. a compliance assessment approach that does not use modelling) would require emissions reductions from all source sectors within Guangzhou of 60%, whilst to attain 40 μg m−3 everywhere in Guangzhou (based on model results) would require all-source emissions reduction of 90%. Reducing emissions only from the traffic sector would not achieve either interpretation of the target. We calculated the impacts of the emissions reductions on NO2-atttributable premature mortality to illustrate that policy assessment based only on assessment against a fixed concentration target does not account for the full public health improvements attained. Our approach and findings are relevant for NO2 air pollution control policy making in other megacities

Mapping Health Facilities

“Mapping Health Facilities” discusses GRID3’s work with local stakeholders and data collectors to build capacity for the production and management of geospatial data on health facilities. This paper first discusses GRID3's approach to mapping health facility data. In the next section, it discusses GRID3's support of routine and non-routine immunisation campaigns in Nigeria and the consolidation of existing health facilities data and collection of new data in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Following that, new GRID3 initiatives are discussed, including data consolidation and collection in Zambia and work around health facilities data in Sierra Leone. For more information, see https://grid3.org/ Keywords: COVID-19; health facilities; community health workers; GIS; GTS; health catchment; microplan; microplanning; points of interest; sustainable development; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Nigeria; Sierra Leone; Zambia; GRID3; health zones; vaccination; immunisation; CIESIN; UNFPA; Flowminder; WorldPop; polio; Africa; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; District Health Information Software 2; Directorate of Planning, Policy, and Information; Division of the National Health Information System; Expanded Program on Immunization; Geographic Information System; Geospatial Tracking System; Local Government Area; Mapping For Health; Maternal and Child Survival Program; National Primary Health Care Development Agency; National Spatial Data Infrastructure; Open Data Kit; Public Health Services and Solutions; Quality analysis and quality control; routine immunisation; non-routine immunisation; Service Availability and Readiness Assessment; United States Agency for International Development; Vaccination Tracking System; Wild Polio Virus; Zambia Statistics Agenc

Harmonising Subnational Boundaries

“Harmonising Subnational Boundaries” discusses GRID3’s work to support the harmonisation, production, and use of digitised legal/administrative units, operational units, and statistical areas. GRID3’s boundaries work has three primary areas of focus: improving and harmonising operational units; fostering improved collaboration on boundary harmonisation among disparate government bodies; and using boundaries harmonisation to support census efforts. The paper focuses on case studies in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. GRID3 works with countries to generate, validate and use geospatial data on population, settlements, infrastructure, and subnational boundaries. For more information, see https://grid3.org/. Keywords: administrative units; census; community health workers; digital boundaries; emergency operations; enumeration area; GIS; gridded population data; harmonisation; health catchment; microplan; operational units; points of interest; pre-enumeration area; routine operations; semi-automated delineation; settlement; settlement layer; settlement mapping; statistical areas; statistical infrastructure; subnational boundaries; sustainable development; GRID3; health zones; participatory mapping; vaccination; immunisation; CIESIN; UNFPA; Flowminder; WorldPop; poli

Harmoniser les limites infranationales

“Harmoniser les limites infranationales” aborde le travail de GRID3 de soutien à l'harmonisation, la production et l'utilisation d'unités légales/administratives, d'unités opérationnelles et de zones statistiques numérisées. Le travail de GRID3 sur les frontières s'articule autour de trois axes principaux: l'amélioration et l'harmonisation des unités opérationnelles, la promotion d'une meilleure collaboration sur l'harmonisation des limites entre des organismes gouvernementaux disparates et l'utilisation de l'harmonisation des limites pour soutenir les efforts de recensement. Le document se penche sur des études réalisées au Nigeria, en République démocratique du Congo et en Zambie. GRID3 accompagne les pays dans la création, la validation et l'utilisation des données géospatiales de population, localités, infrastructures et de limites infranationales. Pour plus d'informations, voir https://grid3.org/. Keywords (Mots clés) : unités administratives ; recensement ; agents de santé communautaires ; limites numériques ; opérations d'urgence ; zone de dénombrement ; SIG ; données de population carroyées ; harmonisation ; bassin de santé ; microplan ; unités opérationnelles ; points d'intérêt ; zone de pré-dénombrement ; opérations de routine ; délimitation semi-automatique ; établissement ; couche d'établissement ; cartographie de l'établissement ; zones statistiques ; infrastructure statistique ; limites infranationales ; développement durable ; GRID3 ; zones de santé ; cartographie participative ; vaccination ; immunisation ; CIESIN ; UNFPA ; Flowminder ; WorldPop ; polio

Cartographie et classification des localités

Ce document présente le travail de GRID3 sur le recueil et l'analyse des données de localité. Les activités de GRID3 sur les localités se s’articule autour de deux axes principaux : la création d'une couche des localités exhaustive qui permet d'obtenir une image réelle des communautés, et l'utilisation d'empreintes de bâtiments, de couches de données géospatiales et d'algorithmes d'apprentissage automatique pour classer les structures et les zones locales au sein des localités. Ce document aborde également les applications des méthodes de GRID3 au Nigeria, en République démocratique du Congo et en Zambie. GRID3 accompagne les pays dans la création, la validation et l'utilisation des données géospatiales de population, localités, infrastructures et de limites infranationales. Pour plus d'informations, voir https://grid3.org/. Keywords (Mots clés) : classification au niveau de la zone ; empreintes de bâtiments ; couche de localités complète ; étendue ; catégorisation intra localité ; apprentissage automatique ; couche de polygones ; couche de points ; localités ; données de localités ; couche de localités ; cartographie de localités ; point de localités ; GRID3 ; schéma de base de données ; données géospatiales ; classification des quartiers ; source ouverte ; zones de santé ; cartographie participative ; SIG ; vaccination ; immunisation ; recensement ; micro-plans ; CIESIN ; UNFPA ; Flowminder ; WorldPop ; modèle de probabilité ; aréal ; zones bâties ; petites agglomérations ; hameaux ; zones de hameaux ; polio ; Afriqu

Emission estimates and inventories of non-methane volatile organic compounds from anthropogenic burning sources in India

Comprehensive, spatially disaggregated emission inventories are required for many developing regions to evaluate the relative impacts of different sources and to develop mitigation strategies which can lead to effective emission controls. This study developed a 1 km2 non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC) emission model for the combustion of fuel wood, cow dung cake, municipal solid waste (MSW), charcoal, coal and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in India from 1993 to 2016. Inputs were selected from a range of detailed fuel consumption surveys and recent emission factors measured during comprehensive studies of local burning sources. For the census year of 2011, we estimated around 13 (5–47) Tg of NMVOCs were emitted from biomass and MSW combustion in India. Around 54% of these emissions were from residential solid biofuel combustion, 23% from open burning of MSW, 23% from crop residue burning on fields an

Evaluating the collection, comparability and findings of six global surgery indicators

BACKGROUND: In 2015, six indicators were proposed to evaluate global progress towards access to safe, affordable and timely surgical and anaesthesia care. Although some have been adopted as core global health indicators, none has been evaluated systematically. The aims of this study were to assess the availability, comparability and utility of the indicators, and to present available data and updated estimates. METHODS: Nationally representative data were compiled for all World Health Organization (WHO) member states from 2010 to 2016 through contacts with official bodies and review of the published and grey literature, and available databases. Availability, comparability and utility were assessed for each indicator: access to timely essential surgery, specialist surgical workforce density, surgical volume, perioperative mortality, and protection against impoverishing and catastrophic expenditure. Where feasible, imputation models were developed to generate global estimates. RESULTS: Of all WHO member states, 19 had data on the proportion of the population within 2h of a surgical facility, 154 had data on workforce density, 72 reported number of procedures, and nine had perioperative mortality data, but none could report data on catastrophic or impoverishing expenditure. Comparability and utility were variable, and largely dependent on different definitions used. There were sufficient data to estimate that worldwide, in 2015, there were 2 038 947 (i.q.r. 1 884 916-2 281 776) surgeons, obstetricians and anaesthetists, and 266·1 (95 per cent c.i. 220·1 to 344·4) million operations performed. CONCLUSION: Surgical and anaesthesia indicators are increasingly being adopted by the global health community, but data availability remains low. Comparability and utility for all indicators require further resolution