Sistemas de información geográfica y salud pública en la Comunidad de Madrid

Resumen

This paper tackles the process followed in the Region of Madrid for the implementation of GIS in its health sector administration. The paper is structured in four well-distinguished sections. First, the relevance of GIS in public health, and particularly in epidemiology and environmental health, is revised. This is supported by examples of initiatives from the Madrid government. Next, the needs, in respect to geographical information, for surveillance health systems, are detailed. Third, several relevant projects, on GIS applied to health, carried out in Madrid are presented. Last, at the conclusions, a summary of the relevance and importance of geographic information technologies applied to the health sector are highlighted as well as current and future projects aimed at reinforcing the use of GIS within the health sector in Madrid.