title: [Geographic Information Systems and health: application to Antananarivo city].
abstract: The general health status of the population in the capital, Antananarivo, is determined by a number of different socio-economical and environmental factors. A study was undertaken in 1998 by which the Geographic Information System (GIS) was implemented in order to describe characteristics in town areas (fokontany) suffering from a high disease burden. It was observed that there was a heterogeneous distribution of health care supporting facilities in comparison to population density in the different areas of the capitol. A risk-score system by use of an image-technique was elaborated. The most important problem encountered in the study was the reduced availability of standardized collected data. The results suggest that GIS constitutes a useful tool in assessment of urban health problems in order to identify fokontany in particular need of additional health care support.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Randremanana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Migliani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rakotomanga
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jeanne
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar / Q000453:epidemiology; D009017:Morbidity; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011156:Population Density; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health