Moving Toward Health Equity Through GIS

Community and location play a role in a person’s health. Access to health not only impacts the person but the entire community. The truth is that where you live (and have lived) affects how healthy you are, and how healthy you can be. Geographic information systems, or GIS, can help community leaders and organizations, from policymakers to nonprofits to health professionals and more, understand what health inequities exist in their communities by mapping, analyzing and presenting this data in order to create change at all levels.

Imagine the following community: Parks and greenspaces dot the landscape, and safe sidewalks connect neighborhoods. Grocery stores full of healthy food are abundant, and there is affordable transportation linking the community to medical hubs and treatment centers. Bike lanes traverse the landscape, and the housing is safe and accessible.