Infectious disease planning with geospatial data

Infectious diseases are estimated to be responsible for more that 15 million deaths globally each year, representing evolving challenge to human health, according to the World Health Organization. Geospatial data provides an understanding based in both time and place to figure out how and where disease is transmitted to develop effective control measures.

Ebola captured the world’s attention in 2014, marking the largest outbreak of the virus in history. During this epidemic, geospatial data provided a unique perspective and critical information for improved response and containment efforts. Human mobility like air travel and commuting, locations of transport exchanges and medical health facilities, and socioeconomic factors like weakness in public health infrastructure and poverty, are all important factors in modeling pandemics. As we grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, health officials are enacting different quarantine and social distancing rules around the world to address these factors.

Satellite imagery can help researchers understand our travel patterns and the economic effects of the pandemic. Applied to infectious disease models, geospatial data analysis can help determine which locations need support now as well as predict where the next outbreaks may occur.

Explore this interactive map of Iran to see how human geography data layers can help build critical context for planning and activating more effective emergency response programs.

Select the area in gold to reveal more data layers for analysis.

Further access to timely geospatial data enables infectious disease experts to constantly update models, assess effectiveness of quarantine policies and monitor vulnerable areas for outbreaks—even in the most remote areas of the world.

Leveraging the speed, scalability, accuracy and regular updates of Maxar advanced geospatial technology can help reduce resources while keeping up with dynamic changes.