Use of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Forecasting in Pandemic Preparedness

Geographical Information System (GIS) has traditionally been used in the areas of geography & spatial data analysis to capture, store and display data related to earths’ position; the daily frequent use being in google maps or navigation systems. The use #GIS of is also quite popular at times of election and its results to highlight various constituencies won by a particular party. During COVID times, we all would have looked at newspaper showing India’s map or that of various districts in different color gradients to signify the case burden in a particular area or some points on map showing location of various hospitals or oxygen facilities GIS is hence a powerful tool that has gained importance for its use to support #pandemicpreparedness efforts GIS can be used to map the spread of a disease, identify highrisk areas, and track the effectiveness of containment and mitigation strategies.

By overlaying data on population density, demographics, and healthcare infrastructure, GIS can help public health officials understand the potential impact of an outbreak and target their response efforts. Additionally, GIS can be used to create digital contact tracing systems, which can help identify and isolate individuals who have been exposed to the virus.

Disease #mapping and #forecasting are one of the key components of pandemic preparedness, and GIS plays a critical role in these efforts GIS allows for the #visualization of disease spread over time and space, making it easier to identify patterns and hotspots By analyzing data on factors such as population density, travel patterns, and healthcare infrastructure, GIS can be used to create models that forecast the potential spread of a disease and identify areas that are most at risk.

Additionally, GIS can be used to create #earlywarning systems that can alert authorities to potential outbreaks before they become widespread. Overall, GIS-based disease mapping and forecasting can help to improve pandemic preparedness by providing valuable insights and supporting effective decision-making in the face of a pandemic.

Written by, Priyanka Kharkwal

Articles from the field:

Neglected Tropical Diseases and priority areas to tackle them in South-East Asia

NTDs are a group of parasitic and bacterial infections that affect over 1 billion people globally, primarily in lowincome communities These diseases cause debilitating physical symptoms and can lead to blindness, disfigurement, and even death

In light of NTD Day, it's important to recognize the impact NTDs have on communities and the importance of addressing them as part of our global health and epidemic preparedness efforts. Investing in NTD control not only improves health outcomes, but also helps build resilient health systems that can respond effectively to outbreaks of NTDs and other infectious diseases.

In the context of South-East Asia and India, The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the South-East Asia Region holds the record for the world's second-highest number of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) These diseases can be found in all 11 Member States of the Region, with over 938 million people requiring intervention. In 2021, 59% of the global population requiring treatments for lymphatic filariasis (LF) was from this Region, as well as 66.5% of the new cases of leprosy, and 56% of children needing regular deworming against soil-transmitted helminthiases.

Over the years, the countries in the Region made considerable progress India and Maldives were declared yawsfree in 2016 and 2017, respectively The Region introduced a more effective mass drug administration (MDA) regimen with triple drug (IDA) to speed up the elimination of lymphatic filariasis Nepal achieved elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in 2018 and Myanmar followed suit in 2020. By the end of 2020, 98% of implementation units in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal had achieved the epidemiological threshold of elimination of Kala Azar as a public health problem. The Region also reduced visible disability due to leprosy by 40% between 2016 and 2019.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many initiatives had to be postponed

Community-based activities for NTDs were affected and funds were diverted to pandemic response The region's current focus is on optimizing existing interventions and leveraging new innovations to overcome any last-mile gaps and challenges This includes expanding the roll-out of triple-drug therapy to eliminate LF in the three LF-endemic countries, increasing access to post-exposure prophylaxis for leprosy, and intensified efforts to detect and manage cases of kala-azar. The second priority is sustaining elimination status in the post-validation phase, which requires continued vigilance, avoiding donor fatigue, and investing in post-validation interventions such as surveillance platform integration and accelerating research and development of new tools and strategies.

Written by, Dr Abhishek Thakkar