| Project Title:
Geographic Information System and
HDSS
Geographic location affects people's health, nutrition,
and access to health care services. The various projects
can now analyze the impact of the location using surveillance
data and geographic information systems (GIS). These
spatial analyses improve our understanding of how
location affects health status, leading to more effective
interventions.
The geographic location of the entire population
within the study area is recorded using computer and
satellite aided technology i.e. GPS (Global positioning
systems) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
in order to develop an address information system
to locate an individual within the Vadu HDSS. Also
the aim is to develop a health information system
for the Vadu area which will provide real time information
about the health facilities within Vadu HDSS.
Also GIS can be further used for multi temporal
analysis i.e. a time series analysis for epidemiological
as well as environmental studies. GIS can be used
as a decision support system which will help in tracking
risk factors among the population of Vadu as well
help in providing an immediate response to an epidemic.
Thus, by creating a strong and functioning geographic
and health information systems with the support of
the HDSS will enable the organization to do high end
analysis in the research front as well as develop
a strong decision making support system which will
enable the hospital to provide immediate response
to emergency cases.
Method of GPS Data Collection
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a system allowing to precisely identifying locations on the earth's surface. GPS is a radio navigation system that allows land, sea, and airborne users to determine their exact location, anywhere in the world. The GPS locations of each household in 22 villages of our study area were collected by using e-Trex handheld GPS Unit (Garmin) Receiver 12 Channel. To collect, organize and management of these data we train the field worker to fulfill the specified requirement. Once the field workers go for collecting the GPS data they are supposed to verify the following Points.
- In GPS Unit the Number of satellite should be more than four.
- Accuracy must be less than 7 meter.
- Save the waypoint (reading) in given questionnaires as well as in GPS unit properly.
- Make sure that Elevation or altitudes (MSL Height) reading have to take in meters.
- The latitude and longitude reading values in degree and decimals ( hddd.dddddd°).
- Write down the remarks for the particular landmarks for which reading is taken (e.g. Road name, Household number etc.).
- Avoids and keep distance from the high tress, electricity pole and building during the reading
- Units battery should be more than 50 %.
- Keep always the map datum WGS 1984.
The above mentioned standard is to be fulfill for designed and collecting the GPS data and further anaysis.
- To study the relationship that may exists between the data collected and the infrastructure located within or around the clusters. This concerns, for Example, health facilities, roads, market, water pumps and so on.
- The known, the GIS tool will be used to calculate the distance to the nearest infrastructure and include this information into the survey analysis.
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