Geographic Information Technologies in Epidemiology – An Up-to-Date Research Direction of Academician I.N. Blokhina Nizhny Novgorod Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology

Abstract

Introduction: Studying the possibility of using geoinformation technologies to analyze the epidemiological situation in the Volga Federal District (VFD) dates back to early 2000s. The experience of creating and maintaining the electronic epidemiological atlas of the Volga Federal District confirmed the relevance of this research direction for ensuring sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing of the population and showed the importance of its results for activities of healthcare and Rospotrebnadzor institutions. The purpose of our work was to consider the main stages of formation and development of geoinformation technologies in epidemiological surveillance of infectious diseases as a research direction of Academician I.N. Blokhina Nizhny Novgorod Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. Materials: The article describes the development of medical geography and gives characteristics of classical scientific schools and some of their results. It presents main results of research work carried out within the framework of the Rospotrebnadzor Sectoral Research Program for 2016–2020 as well as methodology and main stages of development of the geographically distributed geoinformation software complex “Electronic Epidemiological Atlas of the Russian Federation” (GIS “Epidemiological Atlas of Russia”) and its structure. Conclusions: Geographic information systems in epidemiological surveillance as an up-to-date scientific direction of research activities of the Institute enabled implementation of the geoinformation project “Epidemiological Atlas of the Volga Federal District”, the development of which began in 2000–2005 by specialists of the Institute and JSC Upper Volga Air Geodetic Enterprise, and development of GIS “Epidemiological Atlas of Russia”.