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GIS to the Rescue – Controlling the Killer AIDS
Sudeep.K.V
Head – Marketing
IES Geospatial Systems India PVT LTD.
Email: sudeep@iesgeospatial.com
Abstract
AIDS is the killer disease of the 21st century. The W.H.O. figures are disturbing. It is expected that India will be one of the most effected countries by the year 2010. Control of AIDS means a complete monitoring on the transmission areas. Control on the movement of the carriers and monitoring of the various vital parameters
This paper appraises the potential use of Computer-assisted Cartography (C.A.C.) and GIS as effective tools for the portrayal and demographic consequences of HIV/AIDS in the state of Kerala in India. The HIV/AIDS disease knows no boundaries, but spatial portrayal through cartographical analysis may yield vital clues as to its dynamic spread across communities with different norms and socio-economic status. These are needed for developing appropriate measures for containing and/or reducing the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the study area.
HIV/AIDS data from transmission areas of 14 districts within Kerala are cartographically mapped against their provincial demographic statistics to portray the dynamic spread of the HIV/AIDS.
GIS technology would be used to analyze and thematically map HIV/AIDS data of transmission areas from 14 provinces within Kerala in correspondence with their local population statistics to cartographically portray the demographic consequences that HIV/AIDS would evoke at a provincial level. The emerging patterns of the spread of HIV/AIDS within these provinces would also help to set up a model to portray the possible trend that HIV/AIDS would take in the next five years from both a geo-spatial and health perspective and also contribute towards appropriate socio-economic and medical planning at a national level.
A base map for the GIS system would be constructed by adapting the digital topo-cadastral and/or land use map of the research area for the purpose of HIV/AIDS mapping. Maps that depict the temporal and spatial dimensions of HIV/AIDS in the area of investigation would be compiled and thematically mapped using GIS software.
The description and analysis of these newly visual mapped themes would provide the researcher with important pointers to identify and also help to demarcate the main problem areas in this area of medical geography.
Possibilities may also emanate for Health Practitioners working in the HIV/AIDS arena as to gauge the future of Cartographic and GIS visualization techniques as effective tools for disease portrayal and monitoring, in particular, for the ensuing HIV/AIDS pandemic. In this paper the author justifies Computer-assisted Cartography aided by GIS techniques as indispensable tool for effective HIV/AIDS monitoring and controlling.
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