Service availability mapping
WHO's Public Health Mapping group and the Health Metrics Network have been developing methods for Services Availability Mapping (SAM). The objective of SAM is to rapidly assess the availability and coverage of specific public and private health interventions and resources in a given district and its health facilities. Questionnaires are administered using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and facility coordinates are taken using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices. Information is collected on health care resources and priority health services for malaria HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, maternal health, etc.. The results are uploaded into HealthMapper, a free GIS program, for immediate feedback, analysis and decision- making.  National atlases of health service availability are also produced. Similar surveys are being planned with support from the Public Health Mapping and GIS programme in Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.  DSS sites could use the same approach to keep track of services available to populations in the DSA.
The HealthMapper software, and country data can be ordered at no cost from:
Public Health Mapping and GIS programme, Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, CH- 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 791-3881/3836/1861
Fax: (41-22) 791-4198
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