GIS applications to evaluate public health effects of global warming

Conference · Mon Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:471040

Regens, J L; Hodges, D G ^[1]

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1. Tulane Univ. Medical Center, New Orleans, LA (United States)

Modeling projections of future climatic conditions suggest changes in temperature and precipitation patterns that might induce direct adverse effects on human health by altering the extent and severity of infectious and vector-borne diseases. The incidence of mosquito-borne diseases, for example, could increase substantially in areas where temperature and relative humidity rise. The application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offers new methodologies to evaluate the impact of global warming on changes in the incidence of infectious and vector-borne diseases. This research illustrates the potential analytical and communication uses of GIS for monitoring historical patterns of climate and human health variables and for projecting changes in these health variables with global warming.

• OSTI ID: 471040
• Report Number(s): CONF-960420--; ISBN 0-884736-02-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
HEALTH HAZARDS
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
INFORMATION SYSTEMS