Geographic Information Systems for Vaccine – Preventable Disease Management in Refugees

Abstract During conflicts, deaths from disease, often from vaccine-preventable diseases, outnumber deaths from violence. The current study was a quantitative, descriptive, case series investigating the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in refugee populations using geographic information system (GIS) analysis. We focused on cholera, diphtheria, measles, and tuberculosis in the Dadaab complex (primarily Somali and Sudanese), Rohingya, Syrian, Venezuelan, and Yemeni refugee populations. We used retrospective data available to the public. Data were missing for many diseases. Cases of cholera ranged from 1.3 million (Yemen) to 1777 (Dadaab); fatalities ranged from 2500 (Yemen) to 14 (Dadaab). Cases of diptheria ranged from 7340 (Rohingya) to 1249 (Venezuela); fatalities ranged from 214 (Yemen) to 45 (Rohingya). Cases of measles ranged from 6395 (Venezuela) to 104 (Syria); no fatalities were reported. The only data reported for tuberculosis was for Rohingya (880 cases). Our results suggested GIS analysis may be a beneficial resource to address refugee health.