Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide tools for planning and monitoring of health interventions and disease control activities to improve health care delivery and utilisation. In this course you will learn how to use GIS to identify patterns of disease in time and place and to assess public access to health care services. Emphasis will also be given to geo-visualise health management information for advocacy purposes and to monitor and evaluate programme performance. Case studies and lectures will address a wide range of infectious diseases, including neglected tropical diseases, water-borne diseases and sexually transmitted infections.

This course aims to provide health professionals with a solid understanding and hands-on practice allowing them to use GIS in their daily work. The increasing use of open source software solutions in professional settings provides a free, yet perfectly viable alternative to commercial software. This course uses Free and Open Source Software solutions to allow course participants to bring their skills into practice without depending on commercial packages.

In both weeks guest speakers are invited to present applications of the use of GIS in disease control programmes and research projects.

Objectives

At the end of the course the participants will be able to:

• Explain the relation between health and geography and the role of GIS to analyse these relations
• Operate a GIS (QGIS) and apply basic cartographic techniques to visualize health data
• Create and interpret thematic health maps
• Describe spatial patterns of health indicators and epidemiological data
• Apply QGIS software and geo-processing methods for the planning and evaluation of performance and coverage of disease control programs
• Identify requirements for successful implementation of GIS tools in public health

For more information on this course go to: https://www.kit.nl/institute/programme/using-gis-for-global-health/

This course is tropEd accredited and can be followed as a stand-alone course or as specialisation course of the Master in Public Health and Health Equity programme.

How to Apply:

Admission criteria

• A degree in public health or international health: BSc, MSc or equivalent academic training
  A basic knowledge of epidemiology and principles of social research
• At least 3 years of professional experience, preferably working at a national level in low and middle income countries
• Proven proficiency in spoken and written English

The complete application is due 2 months before the start of the course.

Please upload your application online via our course page.