Services offered by the GIS Centre

To create maps on the internet visit http://www.mrcmapping.org.za

Services offered

• Advice on GIS components of projects;
• Spatial database consultations;
• Supply and source spatial databases;
• Digitising capabilities;
• Assistance with GPS;
• Run introductory GIS courses

According to the World Health Organisation, GIS or geographic information systems, "provide an excellent means of analysing epidemiological data, revealing trends, dependencies and inter-relationships that would be more difficult to discover in tabular format". The technology provides a mechanism to integrate different data sets, analyse their spatial and statistical components, and model possible scenarios, thereby supporting interdisciplinary research. Its use will encourage the ongoing collection and analysis of accurate spatial and statistical data for disease control and resource distribution. Its use requires appropriate data, mechanisms for distribution, as well as expertise and technical support.

The Health GIS Centre which emanated from the MRC's Malaria Research Programme (MRP), is based at the MRC Durban offices under the leadership of Dr Brian Sharp. The Centre currently consists of two official staff members, Ms Bronwyn Curtis and Mr Burnie Nawn. However, its close association with the MRP ensures that the expertise of a number of other skilled staff, with many years of GIS experience, can also be drawn on.

Since the MRC's GIS Centre houses numerous useful GIS data sets, many once-off requests (maps and analysis) are undertaken for both MRC and outside organisations. In particular, the 1996 Population Census data linked to the spatial boundaries has proved to be an invaluable resource. The Centre has also been working closely with Statistics South Africa, in order to verify the many spatial inconsistencies in the database.