Change monitoring and assessment of health capacity of Iraq due to COVID-19 by application of GIS techniques

Abstract

Infectious disease distribution is fundamentally a spatial process; thus, geospatial data, technology and analysis methods play an essential role in analysing and controlling the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As a result of this virus, there is a rapid increase in the number of infected and deaths distributed in different regions of Iraq. Social functioning, human health, life, human production, and also international relations are extremely threatened by COVID-19. To fight this virus, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can play an important role in many aspects such as preventing the spread and the evaluating the required measures. GIS is an advanced technique which has a complete method for database, form construction, model construction, and map production geographical health gaps and social weaknesses review, and communicating illness state or return-to-normal operations in hospitals. The use of the GIS has the ability to improve the location and usability of personal security installations, ventilators, hospital beds and other objects. However, strengthen production of GIS to boost our ability to respond rapidly in the face of pandemics that are on the verge of spreading. This study summarizes the main uses of GIS technologies in the global health care sector, highlighting applications related to the modelling and analysis of parasitic diseases. It also allows investigators to connect health public and climate data so that relations of health-related variables and environmental risk factors at various geographical quantities can be analysed.

Current Impact and Long-Term Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Iraqi Healthcare Systems: A Case Study

“…Since the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic during the beginning of the last century, the COVID-19 pandemic is only the second outbreak to significantly influence all countries' healthcare systems and economies, and the psychology of the world's population [9][10][11].…”

“…Since the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic during the beginning of the last century, the COVID-19 pandemic is only the second outbreak to significantly influence all countries’ healthcare systems and economies, and the psychology of the world’s population [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. The current pandemic has posed unique challenges to all health systems, regardless of their income level, as countries struggled to minimize their mortality and morbidity [ 12 ].…”