title: Four ways geographic information systems can help to enhance health service planning and delivery for infectious diseases in low-income countries.
abstract: Focusing specifically on infectious diseases in low-income countries, this paper discusses four ways Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can facilitate health service planning and delivery: (1) deeper insight into where health care services should be located; (2) improved health surveillance and real-time planning for disease control and population health; (3) stronger accountability and evidence-informed dialogue between funders and the service providers and; (4) greater opportunities to translate complex data into more accessible formats which policymakers can quickly interpret and act on. Taking its use beyond just a research instrument, GIS is a way to undertake multidisciplinary work and improve health service planning and delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, School of Primary Health Care, Monash University, Building 1, 270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Victoria 3168, Australia. bianca.brijnath@monash.edu
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brijnath
authors.lastname: Ansariadi
authors.forename: Dziedzom K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: de Souza
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D003906:Developing Countries; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006285:Health Planning / Q000379:methods*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D011050:Policy Making; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods