By Valrie Grant, Managing Director, GeoTechVision
Over 160 years ago, in 1854, an English physician, John Snow, provided the classic example of how mapping can be used in epidemiological research. By mapping the locations of those afflicted with cholera, he was able to identify the water source responsible for the outbreak.
This was one of the earliest recorded uses of GIS in epidemiological studies and today GIS has continued to be used in public health. By tracking the sources of diseases and the movements of contagions, health departments are responding more effectively to outbreaks of disease by identifying at-risk populations