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GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are used in many fields to create, store, analyze, and display data with a spatial component (i.e. location information). In recent years, the use of GIS by public health professionals has expanded rapidly, driven by the growing realization that :
GIS adds a powerful graphical and analytical dimension to public health by bringing together the fundamental epidemiological triad of person, time, and the often-neglected place. The analysis and mapping of data using Public Health GIS include:
To increase the GIS capacity of public health professionals in Canada the Office of Public Health Practice provides GIS services tailored to their needs. We work with Canadian public health professionals at federal, provincial/territorial, regional, and local levels, as well as non-government organizations (NGOs) and academic research groups. To support the spatial information needs of evidence-based public health planning and research in areas such as chronic and infectious disease prevention and control, health promotion, surveillance, emergency preparedness and response, and pandemic outbreaks we offer:
In addition to national support and collaboration, we undertake research relevant to Canadian Public Health GIS and foster links to the international Public Health GIS community. For more information,
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Last Updated: 2006-04-06 |