GIS Lab
The MRP first introduced GIS into its research portfolio in 1990 with the realisation of the need for the spatial
analysis of malaria. This position has been consolidated over the last 9 years, mainly with external funding, to the current situation where most projects in the MRP have a GIS component. This capability is
internationally recognised, as is evident by the number of international collaborative projects within the Programme. No other organisation in SA focuses primarily on GIS in the health field.
Malaria Distribution Research
Note: Maps should not be referred to regarding prophylaxis.
Click here for prophylactic
map.
A Geographic Information System (GIS) was established in 1990 for the two northern-most magisterial districts of the KwaZulu-Natal province (Ingwavuma and Ubombo) where malaria is a major health problem. This region is one of the most rural areas in South Africa and has an extremely low per capita income. The GIS was built by "piggybacking" the collection of additional data onto existing Malaria Control Programme (MCP) control activities that were carried out by visiting each homesteads at least once a year. This enabled the efficient and cost-effective development of the GIS platform.
People in the area live in scattered patriarchal
homesteads rather than in villages. This provides an interesting spatial context
for the study of disease dynamics and the provision of service infrastructure
(e.g. schools and clinics). Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate points
of more than 35 000 individual homesteads were collected by the MCP field workers 1n 1996
who traverse the area on bicycles. The longitude and latitude, population data,
data relating to malaria control, tribal affiliation, school and clinic attendance,
etc. were collected and entered into a relational database. Facilities such
as shops, churches, schools, nature camps, lookout points etc. were also recorded.
The conceptual relational database as illustrated below, consists of a core
file with information relating to the coordinates and owner of each homestead
to which files containing other types of information for each homestead can
be linked. 
This exercise was repeated in 2002/3. Similar projects based at the village level have now being established
in Mpumalanga and the Northern Provinces, the other two South African provinces
experiencing malaria.
Distribution Maps:
The following maps show the distribution of malaria in South
Africa and illustrate the effect of presenting data at different scales. At
a coarse scale (e.g. province, district), maps are useful in helping to focus
human and financial resources to areas of most need and will be particularly
important as South Africa moves towards district based health systems. However,
maps that indicate malaria risk at a district or province level can be confusing
when as they usually combine and average no-risk, low-risk and high-risk areas.
This results in no-risk areas being demarcated as 'at risk', and high-risk areas
as being diluted and not reflecting the true nature of the level of risk. For
malaria drug advice these maps are of little value. Maps at a finer level of
detail (e.g. sub-district, village) provide a more useful level of reporting
and presenting data, and allow a more focused allocation of resources by MCP's
to specific areas of need.
Contact Us: Natashia Morris
