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Abstract
HIV/AIDS Infection – intervention by using GIS as a tool
Amrut Yalagi
Basaveshwar Science College,
Email: amrut1243@gmail.com
Chandhangouda Malipatil
Basaveshwar Science College
India’s population surpassed 1 billion in 2001; 67% live in rural areas and 33% in urban areas. India is estimated to have the second largest population of people living with HIV/AIDS,next to South Africa. An estimated 5.13 million individuals currently live with HIV across all states in India. In areas that are more severely affected, the epidemic has started to challenge recent development achievements and to raise fundamental issues of human rights concerning people living with HIV/AIDS.
The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimated that the number of people infected with HIV in India increased from 3.86 million in 2000 to 5.13 million in 2004. As of 2004, about 39% of people living with HIV/AIDS were women and about 58% lived in rural areas where HIV/AIDS services are poor. By the end of November 2005, the total number of reported AIDS cases in India was 116 905, of which 34 177 were women. These data also indicate that about one third of reported AIDS cases are among people younger than 30 years. However, many more AIDS cases go unreported. Only 8097 total AIDS deaths have been reported as of December 2005.
However there is an intimate link between public health and location. For example, geographic accessibility to health facilities is an important factor in ensuring patients receives necessary care. The spread of diseases, such as HIV and malaria, can be affected by geographic factors or spatial clustering. Geographic information systems (GIS) supported by a strong spatial data infrastructure and vibrant routine health data can give planners valuable information to address these issues and support monitoring and evaluation and planning. The GIS can also be used an effective tool to manage and monitor HIV/ADIS and related routine activities • in adjusting existing data to bring them closer to suitability; • improving or enriching surveys and administrative records with a potential for suitability; • arranging for collection or generation of “missing” data.
GIS also holds the possibility of creating virtual communities whose populations and health can be modeled. Changes in local health care delivery systems can be tested; alternative sites for a clinic might be used to estimate use of services or the effects of modifications in the regulatory environment on health behaviors could be modeled.
“Society for Youth Development Advocacy” (SYDA) who has track records of serving in this area is collecting required HIV/AIDS patient data and “The Planetary Society of Youth” (TPSY) who is undertaking GIS application development and maintenance. We have initially started this project in Pondicherry in coordination with Aruna Lab. SYDA made collaboration with “AIDS control and research center”, Pondicherry for data collection as they have around the nation. TPSY has required technology and people to develop such software and maintain it through a web portal. Initially the pilot project is started in and round Pondicherry. Once the portal is up access will be available to all of the coordinating centers around the nation for data collection.
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