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Applications of GIS in Health Geography


1. Disease Mapping

  • GIS maps the location of diseases.

  • Helps identify areas with high disease cases.

  • Scholar: John Snow (1854) – Created the famous cholera map in London, considered the foundation of medical mapping.

2. Health Risk Mapping

  • Identifies areas with high health risks (pollution, floods, poor sanitation).

  • Helps governments plan preventive measures.

  • Scholar: Charles Picket (1990s) – Promoted GIS applications in public health planning. (Often cited in health GIS literature; ensure the spelling is "Picket/Picquet" according to your syllabus source.)

3. Hotspot Analysis

  • Finds places with many disease cases.

  • Used to identify disease outbreak areas.

  • Method: Getis-Ord Gi* Statistic.

  • Developed by: Arthur Getis & J. Keith Ord (1992).

4. Coldspot Analysis

  • Finds places with very few disease cases.

  • Helps compare healthy and unhealthy regions.

  • Method: Getis-Ord Gi* (1992).

5. Cluster Analysis

  • Groups nearby disease cases.

  • Detects disease clusters for epidemiological studies.

  • Common Method: Spatial Cluster Analysis, Local Moran's I.

  • Scholar: Luc Anselin (1995).

6. Containment Zones

  • GIS identifies and maps infected areas.

  • Used during COVID-19 to restrict disease spread.

  • Widely applied: 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

7. Kernel Density Estimation (KDE)

  • Creates a smooth map showing disease concentration.

  • Higher density = higher disease occurrence.

  • Scholar: Murray Rosenblatt (1956) and Emanuel Parzen (1962) developed kernel density estimation.

8. Getis-Ord Gi* Analysis

  • Identifies statistically significant hotspots and coldspots.

  • Widely used for disease surveillance.

  • Scholars: Arthur Getis & J. Keith Ord (1992).

9. Emerging Hotspot Analysis

  • Detects new, persistent, intensifying, or diminishing hotspots over time.

  • Helps monitor disease spread and changing health patterns.

  • Popularized through: Esri ArcGIS Space-Time Pattern Mining tools (2010s).


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