REMOTE SENZORS FOR HUMAN HEALTH

Abstract

Since the launch of Landsat-1 28 years ago, remotely sensered information has been used to map features on the Earth’s surface. An increasing number of health studies have used remotely sensed data for risk mapping, particularly of vector-borne diseases. Nearly all studies have used data from Landsat, the French Système pour l’observation de la terre and the high-resolution radiometer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. New sensor systems are in orbit, or will soon be launched, and may provide useful data in characterizing and monitoring the spatial and temporal modelling patterns of infectious diseases. Increasing the computing power and spatial modelling capabilities of geographic information systems could extend the use of remote sensing beyond the research community to operational disease surveillance and control. The article illustrates how remotely sensed data has been used in health applications, and attempts to assess the role of Earth-observing satellites in the detection and mapping of environmental variables related to the distribution of vector borne and other diseases in the future.