Explore how spatial data and geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to understand and improve public health. The environment in which we live and work can have a profound effect on our health – an effect that is explored by the emerging field of geohealth. This free online course will introduce you to new developments in geohealth, looking at the latest thinking and methods for using spatial data and geographic information systems (GIS) in health settings.
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Understand geohealth techniques and best practice
The course consists of ten different topics, ranging from data collection techniques to spatial simulation, and aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and health professionals.
By the end of the course, you will understand how spatial data and geo-information techniques can contribute to solving public health problems, and be aware of best practice when using GIS in the health field.
Learn with health and geo-informatics specialists
The Geohealth course has been developed by three well-known institutions with experience in both the health domain and the field of geo-informatics:
- Public Health Foundation of India helps to build institutional and systems capacity in India for strengthening education, training, research and policy development in the area of public health.
- Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam aims to improve health and ensure equitable socio-economic development as much as intercultural cooperation with partners worldwide.
- Faculty of ITC at the University of Twente is recognised worldwide for achievements in teaching, research and capacity development in the field of geo-information science and earth observation.
What topics will you cover?
- Components of a GIS for health applications (spatial data, software, mapping, analysis techniques, people)
- In depth topic on “Accessibility and Health Facility Planning”
- Using Volunteered Geographic Information within the Health Domain
- Spatio-temporal machine learning and data mining
- Using Self-Organizing Maps to discover spatio-temporal patterns
- Agent-Based modeling for health applications
- Spatial dependence and variograms
- Spatial Clustering and Smoothing
- Universal Health Coverage
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...
- Debate with other participants about recent developments within the field of GeoHealth
- Reflect on components of the Geohealth system and the relevance of these components
- Investigate several new analytical approaches with the GeoHealth domain
- Contribute to the discussion on the relevance of several new analytical techniques
- Explore scientific research in the Geohealth domain
