student research day - Case Western Reserve University School of ...

Katherine Schlosser
Evaluation of Geographic Information Systems as an aid to Caribbean Basin Schistosomiasis Elimination
Katherine Schlosser and Charles H. King
Center for Global Health and Disease
Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine
In light of recent evidence quantifying the disability associated with schistosomiasis, the World Health Organization
has recently shifted its recommendations for the disease away from control and towards elimination. The purpose
of this project was twofold; part one assessed the availability of geographic information systems (GIS) data to
support schistosomiasis elimination in the Caribbean basin. These data were collected and compiled into maps,
which were provided to PAHO as a starting point for additional mapping efforts. Part two was a pilot study
evaluating the self-collection of GPS data for use with schistosomiasis elimination campaigns. Mapping efforts were
focused on Antigua and Barbuda, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, and
Saint Lucia. Data were compiled by searching the Internet for free GIS data sources. Information was collected and
recorded for layers including elevation, hydrography, roads, political boundaries, land use, cities, and hospitals.
Acquired data were compiled in ArcMap by country. These data were made available as PDF maps with the
associated shapefiles. Part two of this project was completed in St. Lucia from June 2, 2008 through June 13,
2008. Data were collected using a Garmin eTrex Legend set to WGS84 collecting in degrees, minutes, and seconds.
GPS locations were recorded for six hospitals, twenty-five health centers, and tracks were recorded for roads
around the island. The main finding for the online data compilation is that high quality Caribbean data are not
readily available in the public domain. The results of the pilot study were promising. These data collected in St.
Lucia were more accurate and detailed than that publicly available. Smaller roads were captured by the selfcollection
and importantly, roads to health centers and hospitals were identified. These data are detailed enough to
use to return to these sites. GIS may represent a useful tool to aid in schistosomiasis elimination. Missing
information that would be most helpful to collect would include the accurate location of cities, towns, hospitals,
schools, and potential sites of transmission.
Supported by NIH T35 Training Grant R25TW07735 ―Framework Programs in Global Health‖ WHO Collaborating
Center for Basic and Applied Research on Schistosomiasis at CWRU
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