Health professionals need to map and visualize their existing or collected data for appropriate analysis, interpretation and decision making. Newer technologies such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) permit geographical data capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying in much efficient and accurate manner. GPS allows to obtain the exact location (i.e. coordinates) while GIS is useful for observing longitudinal trends. GIS technology has broad applications in natural and social sciences, humanities, environmental studies, engineering, management and health. GIS can be efficiently used in population health specifically in epidemiology in many occasions such as identifying population at risk, health planning and targeting interventions, linking data, forecasting epidemics, monitoring disease patterns and interventions over time, determining geographical distribution and variation of disease (prevalence and incidence), etc.

This course introduces the concepts and components of a geographic information system (GIS). It also teaches the essential skills of developing maps through use of GIS software package.

By completing this course, students will able to develop skills and capabilities to use GIS in health planning, epidemiology and research work in community health.