Health and Science Tidbits
Florence Margai, associate professor in the Department of Geography at Binghamton University asks: “Is climate change making us sick?” Her answer: Yes, “and a geographically based approach can help fight diseases such as malaria and swine flu.”
An article on 10 health care trends to watch in 2010 didn’t include GIS, but did include its use in “Increased Focus On Outbreak Preparedness”:
GIS (geographic information system) technologies can be instrumental in planning for potential emergencies as well as tracking outbreak patters.
- Healthcare Technology Online
Spain is the exception when it comes to European colon cancer rates between 1980 and 2006. All other counties saw a decrease in incidents and mortality, but not Spain. The difference may be attributable to slower changes in alcohol use and smoking.
In the UK, Mark Easton reports, “health managers in the county [Berkshire] spend just a few pennies per patient on drugs that might benefit dementia sufferers. In North Lancashire, by contrast, they spend 40 times as much.”
- BBC
