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Abstract
Malaria Distribution Mapping with ArcView GIS in Chennai City, India
Track: Health and Human Services
Author(s): Balakrishnan Perumal
Chennai City, previously known by the name of Madras, is located on the eastern seaboard of the Indian subcontinent. It has a low-lying terrain with a unique feature of five inner city waterways, which were navigable earlier, but now they only carry the sullage of the city. Chennai City is one of the populous urban centres in India with a population density of 21783 persons per sq. km. The climate of Chennai is a tropical maritime monsoon type with the minimum and maximum temperatures not going beyond 20 C and 30 C respectively. Chennai has its major rain from the northeast monsoon, that is, from October to December, and this gives a lot of rain and floods with even cyclones and storms occurring during this period. The annual mean average rainfall is 127 cms of which more than half falls during the northeast monsoon period. Mean relative humidity is high throughout the year. Malaria, which spreads by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, breeds in waterlogged areas and other open enclosed water bodies. Mosquito larvae thrive well in particularly hot humid weather. Climatic condition of Chennai creates a perfect setting to result in an epidemic. Chennai is an endemic area. Chennai City last reported deaths due to malaria in the year 1960, and after that the intensive steps taken by the health department of the Corporation of Chennai controlled deaths due to malaria. In this particular study a simple malaria control system, based on the concepts of GIS, is designed to support malaria control activities in Chennai. ArcView GIS is used for generating maps and analysis.
Balakrishnan Perumal
University of Qatar, Doha, Qatar
Computer Technology
GIS Program, Dept. of Computer Technology
Faculty of Technology, University of Qatar
Doha , Qatar 2713
Qatar
Phone: ++974-4872867
E-mail: bala@qu.edu.qa