How GIS (Geographical Information Systems) relates to Aids in Africa

Geographical Information Systems
Name
Institution Affiliation
Geographical Information Systems
Abstract
Geographic information system (GIS) involves capture, pile, change and analyze information from geographical areas. Additionally, it facilitates management and presentation of the obtained result of the analyzed geographical data. Therefore, GIS is a tool that used in the health sector to facilitate planning and intervention through investigation of epidemics like HIV/AIDs. Use of GIS technology enables problem-solving in the prevention of HIV transmission. It facilitates data acquisition, analyzing it and mapping it to develop basic intervention strategies and programs to improve decision-making.
A GIS uses information from different sources and the only requirement to qualify for use is the location. Therefore, in prevention and control of the spread of HIV the analysis of most affected areas in a country requires the use of GIS and spatial analysis. The capabilities of GIS make it the best option to solve issues that involve geographical data. The most critical phase in use of geographic data is an entry, analysis, and presentation of the data for result viewing.
Thomas, L., & Tiessen, R. (2010). Human security, gender-based violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa: A feminist analysis. Canadian Journal of African Studies/La Revue Canadienne des études africaines, 44(3), 479-502.
Most communities in Africa are male-dominated. Additionally, due to the common occurrence of conflict women are insecure and prone to be affected by HIV/AIDS.

Women and girls are raped during violence since they are treated as inferior and outcast in the community. Hence, the inequality and violence treatment that women receive are gender related. Women are directly affected by HIV diseases, that is, if they are not infected, they are taking care of their partners who are infected.
Kandwal, R., Garg, P. K., & Garg, R. D. (2009). Health GIS and HIV/AIDS studies: Perspective and retrospective. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 42(4), 748-755.
Geographic information system aims to have numerous uses and clusters disease into three classes. Additionally, the objectives of GIS include management through storing and maintaining data, analysis, and displays in maps and graphs meaningful results. Through the use of GIS, it is possible to determine the factors which lead to the development and spread of HIV/AIDs disease. Some of the factors include; social-cultural, economic, age, education and living environment. Therefore, information provided from GIS can play a substantial role in addressing HIV/AIDs through facilitating monitoring, evaluation, and planning. Thus, GIS is a tool that can be applied in health research.
Youngleson, M. S., Nkurunziza, P., Jennings, K., Arendse, J., Mate, K. S., & Barker, P. (2010). Improving a mother to child HIV transmission programme through health system redesign: quality improvement, protocol adjustment, and resource addition. PloS one, 5(11), e13891.
Mothers who are infected with HIV disease are more likely to transmit the disease to the newborn unless if services to prevent are carried out. The services to prevent mother to child transmission (PMTCT) are minimal in African countries. However, use of prenatal, antenatal and intrapartum care are necessary improvement steps in PMTCT. According to the study conducted in South Africa, the number of an infant exposed to HIV had positive feedback (decline) after prenatal, postnatal and intrapartum care was introduced. Hence, to improve PMTCT there is need to improve the health system, and additional resource allocation to build local capacity.
Maharaj, P. (2001). Male attitudes to family planning in the era of HIV/AIDS: Evidence from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Journal of Southern African Studies, 27(2), 245-257.
In most societies, men are involved in decision-making about reproduction. Women have less training and education about contraceptives thus making men have greater control of the sexual interaction. Although men approve the use of contraceptive as a mean to control reproduction are resisting the use of condoms. Thus, the resistance leads to the prevalence of HIV disease transmission easily. It is often that couple who have been together for long use different controls of fertility other than Condoms which are less effective against sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Men have a major role in safeguarding his reproductive health and that of his partner. Therefore, there is a need for men to understand women’s need and concern in reproduction to adopt family planning.
Owusu, S. A. (2015). “Over my Dead Body”: Knowledge and Attitude of Children towards HIV and AIDS in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. African journal of reproductive health, 19(1), 63-72.
Most children view HIV disease as one of the most dangerous diseases a person can suffer from. Additionally, children are not willing to be associated with people like teachers of vendors who are infected. According to the study conducted in Ghana, the infected people are more likely to face humiliation from children. Therefore, there is a need to target children with information about the feeling of HIV disease to facilitate acceptance among them. Thus enabling children to live in harmony with people who are affected and infected with HIV/AIDs. More so, high awareness of the causes and how to prevent contracting HIV is kind of knowledge that should be passed to people.
Geanuracos, C. G., Cunningham, S. D., Weiss, G., Forte, D., Henry Reid, L. M., & Ellen, J. M. (2007). Use of geographic information systems for planning HIV prevention interventions for high-risk youths. American Journal of Public Health, 97(11), 1974-1981.
Despite the use of advanced means to prevent infection and spread of HIV, there has been increasing and new case of infection. Therefore, use of other means other than those that target individual risk factors is necessary. Geographic information system utilizes information from numerous sources to help in HIV prevention. GIS application facilitates creation and analysis of maps of diseases rates and demographic indicators that support analysis of HIV risks. GIS technology is critical to help determine resources need in the prevention of HIV and to pass public health information to a large number of people. Hence, it is applicable in analyzing other health issues facing communities.
Tanser, F. C., & Le Sueur, D. (2002). The application of geographical information systems to important public health problems in Africa. International journal of health geographics, 1(1), 4.
GIS is an important tool that can be used in solving the adverse problem in the health system in Africa. The spatial modeling capacity from GIS is necessary for understanding different diseases and connection with environmental factors and health system. GIS plays an important role in controlling tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV through management, and research. The phenomenon of climate change is mostly experienced in Africa thus it is a continent with a burden to solve environmental related diseases. Hence, GIS is a vital promise to African’s health research and development progress.
Tanser, F., LeSueur, D., Solarsh, G., & Wilkinson, D. (2000). HIV heterogeneity and proximity of homestead to roads in rural South Africa: an exploration using a geographical information system. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 5(1), 40-46.
According to the study in South Africa, the occurrence of HIV among pregnant women is more rampant to those women who cannot assess roads easily. It is presumed that there are close ties between proximity to roads and HIV occurrence. The ease or difficulty to obtain a reliable transport to a clinic is a barrier for care against HIV in Africa.
Brawner, B. M., Reason, J. L., Goodman, B. A., Schensul, J. J., & Guthrie, B. (2015). Multilevel drivers of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome among Black Philadelphians: an exploration using community ethnography and geographic information systems. Nursing Research, 64(2), 100-110.
Use of geographical and information system and ethnographic methodology allow investigation of the various factors in different communities which lead to transmission of HIV mostly on affected areas. The important step in communities on health is to unravel the impact of individual and social-cultural factors on HIV/ AIDs danger. All these strategies aim to reduce the prevalence of HIV transmission to unaffected areas and individuals. Continuous use of health research on communities with the help of GIS technology can facilitate health sector development.
Cuadros, D. F., Li, J., Branscum, A. J., Akullian, A., Jia, P., Mziray, E. N., & Tanser, F. (2017). Mapping the spatial variability of HIV infection in Sub-Saharan Africa: Effective information for localized HIV prevention and control. Scientific reports, 7(1), 9093.
Sub-Sahara Africa is faced with limited resources problem thus it is hard to do everything to everyone that is essential in HIV prevalence prevention. According to the study conducted in some sub-Saharan countries, poverty and distance to main roads are associated with HIV occurrence. However, prevention strategies like testing and treatment have been employed thus maximizing the impact of these strategies and programs on HIV are important to reverse the epidemic.

Tanser, F., Hosegood, V., Bärnighausen, T., Herbst, K., Nyirenda, M., Muhwava, W., … & Newell, M. L. (2007). Cohort Profile: Africa center demographic information system (ACDIS) and population-based HIV survey. International journal of epidemiology, 37(5), 956-962.
A high occurrence of HIV disease in South-Africa leads to a substantial change in the health of the residing citizens. The need to mitigate and evaluate the changes led to start of Africa Centre Demographic Information System to intervene and alleviate the impact. Additionally, it aimed to describe factors like demography and social to the population and monitor effectiveness of the intervention on HIV epidemic prevention.
Busgeeth, K., & Rivett, U. (2004). The use of a spatial information system in the management of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. International Journal of Health Geographics, 3(1), 13.
Use of GIS would facilitate the creation of a spatial information system which would facilitate the development of a database to gather information necessary for the management of HIV/AIDs in South Africa. The system would promote the location of HIV patient thus contribute to decision making with the aim to improve health service and delivery. Additionally, keeping of health record for the patient and sharing among country’s health facilities would ensure understanding of the disease profiles.
Chamla, D. D., Olu, O., Wanyana, J., Natseri, N., Mukooyo, E., Okware, S., … & George, M. (2007). Geographical information system and access to HIV testing, treatment, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission in conflict-affected Northern Uganda. Conflict and health, 1(1), 12.
GIS is a tool that was employed in Northern Uganda in Africa to determine the access to providing counseling, treating and testing in HIV thus preventing transmission of the disease between mother and child. Therefore, GIS mapping can help to determine gaps in service delivery and present complex data in simple terms thus it can be employed in a different environment.
Tanser, F. C. (2002). The application of GIS technology to equitably distribute fieldworker workload in a large, rural South African health survey. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 7(1), 80-90.
GIS is a research tool that has been improved to be a technology in health sector used to inform or suggest effective health care strategies for African countries. The healthy survey in remote areas has always been difficulty thus it is the main challenge to estimate fieldworkers’ requirement especially for those affected and infected by HIV epidemic. GIS method can design locally-based care for a patient and organize treatment programs.
Wand, H., & Ramjee, G. (2010). Targeting the hotspots: investigating spatial and demographic variations in HIV infection in small communities in South Africa. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 13(1), 41.
In a country like South Africa, the prevalence of HIV varies depending on the geographical area. Therefore the need to have a local monitoring strategy would be significant in solving the epidemic transmission. Hence, GIS is an important tool to be employed to identify key areas of HIV infection and prevalence rate. Determination of the areas would be essential to develop preventive strategies. Evidence provide would enable authorities to take a rapid response to preventive care and treat affected people.
Tanser, F., Bärnighausen, T., Cooke, G. S., & Newell, M. L. (2009). Localized spatial clustering of HIV infections in a widely disseminated rural South African epidemic. International journal of epidemiology, 38(4), 1008-1016.
South Africa has a large population which is HIV positive. Knowledge on the level of infection is necessary; thus the use of spatial analytical techniques in GIS is employed to investigate the Patten and cluster of HIV infection. Therefore, the investigation helps to adopt strategies and interventions which look after the person at greater risk and the general public.