CODIST I Pre-conference Workshop, April 2009, Ethiopia

Enlisting National Mapping Agencies in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Building Partnerships with Ministries of Health & Social Services and National AIDS Commissions

You are cordially invited to the first-ever combined workshop between National Mapping Agencies (NMAs) and national health sector leadership on the African continent. The workshop, which is scheduled for Monday, April 27, 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is sponsored by MEASURE Evaluation and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Held in conjunction with the United Nations sponsored Committee on Development Information Science and Technology (CODIST) meeting, the workshop seeks to promote examples of collaborative, effective use of geography and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology that lead to more effective HIV/AIDS interventions and multi-sectoral solutions, as well as a stronger spatial data infrastructure (SDI) in support of the national strategic plan.

Workshop Context

The effects of HIV/AIDS impact all aspects of society. As a result, everyone has a stake in the battle. Effective interventions, treatment programs and education efforts require a solid SDI to understand the geography of the epidemic and what responses may be effective.

A mature national SDI really is the foundation for being able to produce quality maps and to support informed decisions. While many African countries are developing a robust SDI, however, efforts are often focused on natural resources, agriculture or censuses. In addition, the connections between national ministries of health and social services (NMOH), national AIDS commissions (NACs) and NMAs are often weak or non-existent.

This disconnect means that national health efforts may not benefit from the SDI efforts that have been undertaken; conversely, opportunities to strengthen SDIs through the work of the health sector may be lost. As a result, not only may NMOH duplicate efforts when they develop their own spatial data but the data they create may be incompatible with other national spatial datasets.

Since the health of a population impacts all aspects of society, it is important that public health related spatial data be part of the national SDI, and that NMAs, NMOH and NACs work together. In this context, GISs and other spatial tools have been effective for program planners and decision makers, because they can maximize the value of available data by incorporating them into a single visualization and analytical platform.

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Key Dates

• February 28, 2009: Deadline for submission of abstracts
• February 28, 2009: Deadline for registration
  
• March 15, 2009: Notification to presenters
• April 27, 2009: Workshop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Workshop Objectives

• Introduce workshop participants to international good practices from across CODIST community and non-health sectors, including the use of geography to inform decision making and strategic planning
• Review lessons learned from national and international experiences for possible adaptation into national programming and training strategies
• Raise awareness on the importance of standardization in local naming and coding conventions for geographic entities
• Promote innovative cross-sector exchanges in support of integrated, harmonized national spatial data
• Strengthen and expand regional and national partnership-building opportunities with international, regional and local organizations

Registration

Registration is now closed.

Call for Papers

Abstract submission is closed.