01797nas a2200265 4500000000100000008004100001260004400042653005700086653002100143100001300164700001600177700001300193700001500206700001300221700001200234700001200246700001300258700001300271700001300284245013000297856007900427490000700506520100400513022001401517 2022 d bSpringer Science and Business Media LLC10aGeneral Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10aGeneral Medicine1 aAkpan GU1 aMohammed HF1 aTouray K1 aKipterer J1 aBello IM1 aNgofa R1 aStein A1 aSeaman V1 aMkanda P1 aCabore J00aConclusions of the African Regional GIS Summit (2019): using geographic information systems for public health decision-making uhttps://bmcproc.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12919-022-00233-y.pdf0 v163 a

The use of geographic information system (GIS) technologies to improve access to health is gaining momentum in Africa. This has become more pertinent with the increasing penetration of mobile-phone technology and internet use, and calls for innovative strategies to support implementation of the World Health Organization Sustainable Development Goals for universal health coverage on the continent. The huge potential benefits of GIS to advance health service delivery in Africa is, however, yet to be fully harnessed due to critical challenges such as proliferation of pilot projects, poor coordination, inadequate preparedness of the health workforce for GIS, lack of interoperability, and inadequate sustainable financing. To discuss these challenges and propose the way forward for rapid, cost-effective, and sustainable deployment of GIS, the African Regional GIS Summit was held in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, on 7–10 October 2019 under the umbrella of the AFRO GIS Centre.

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