Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Geographic Information Systems are playing an increasingly important role in health care systems strengthening and management around the world. Through the Health Systems 20/20 project, GIS-enabled Health Information System (HIS) and mapping tools have been developed to support the Yemen Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP), Government Health Office (GHO), and District Health Office (DHO) officials. The project team coordinates with the World Bank, WHO, GTZ, European Commission, and other donors to strengthen the Yemen HIS with decision support tools in support of the Yemen decentralized health care strategy. For an overview, view the "Health GIS in Yemen" presentation made to the USAID Health Management Information Systems Workgroup.

The customized GIS applications better utilize HIS data to improve health care efficiency, equity, and accessibility throughout Yemen. Intensive HIS/GIS has also been provided to five USAID-targeted, underserved governments.

Decision aids include health facility atlases and wall maps depicting analytical results for DHO planners and managers without computer access, stand alone Health Analyzer CD-based ESRI MapObjects-based GIS applications compatible with WHO’s HealthMapper for district-level support, and a customized Health Toolkit (built for ESRI ArcView 9.2 GIS software) for more advanced specialized users at the national level.

HIS, coupled with health GIS tools and applications, aid decision makers in the following ways:

• Mechanism for accessing and integrating HIS databases for analyzing, visualizing, and reporting health information for decision-making and performance tracking
• Rapid assessment of health care gaps
• Evidence-based planning for meeting health finance and health system strengthening needs and situation analysis
• Reducing or avoiding duplication in service coverage by type, for example, immunization services
• Target limited resources
• Conducting vulnerability assessments of targeted diseases
• Improving effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of health services