Abstract
Maps and spatial analyses are increasingly used in the field of health to illustrate the spatial and temporal organization of data and to provide a geographical perspective on health data. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and geomatics tools in general, are thus used by health organizations (local or international) to inform on the distribution of diseases, by managers to monitor and control epidemics, and by doctors and researchers to understand disease distributions. Scientific publications in the field of health also show the widespread use of spatial maps and analyses. Major organizations such as the World Health Organization, ministries of health in many countries, and research organizations have set up GIS laboratories with geomaticians or health geographers to conduct these tasks. However, many organizations do not have in-house expertise and still wish to conduct such analyses. More and more people in the field of health are thus being trained in geomatics, but implementation remains difficult due to the complexity of the tools and the often sporadic use.