Geographic Data Analysis

When using the GPS data for analysis users should beware of common mistakes:

  • ALL GPS locations of survey clusters are displaced (see methodology for details). SPA facility data is NOT displaced.
  • GPS locations are an estimated center of a cluster, NOT the household level GPS.  Cluster sizes can vary greatly.
  • Measuring direct distance from a GPS location to some other site (Facility, school, etc) is NOT correct since this does not account for the displacement of the GPS locations. Using categories of distances or buffers is a better approach.

Spatial analysis publications provide examples of geographic analysis using GPS data from The DHS Program.

GIS Data at Work

Linked DHS and geographic data are now being used to meet a large variety of public health needs, including planning for HIV/AIDS and family planning programs and analysis of the effects of environment on early childhood mortality.

Resources