A training workshop on the Geographic Information System (GIS) for the member states of the Eastern Mediterranean Region commenced on (Monday) at the Intercontinental Hotel.

The four-day training workshop is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), represented by the Directorate General of Planning & Studies.

The training workshop is attended by Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Qasmi, Director General of Planning & Studies with the participation of more than 35 trainees from the MOH and member states along with a number of experts. 

The GIS training workshop focuses on the basic concepts of mapping, geocoding, data collection, analysis visualization, and development of technical skills.

The general objective of the GIS training workshop is to establish a network of GIS users in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and support the Member States to build their GIS capacity.

The GIS training workshop aims to enable the participants to understand the concept of the GIS and ArcGIS, to be informed of the concept of geographic data management and legal aspects of WHO maps and introduction to geographic and disease-related data, to using the ArcGIS to collect, manage, visualize and analyze geographic information, to produce interactive web-based maps using ArcGIS online and on the usage of dashboard development tools, as well as to be oriented on the usage of field geographic data collection tools.

Al-Qasmi thanked the participants and experts for choosing the Sultanate to hold such vital courses that have a positive impact on developing the health systems in the Region.

Dr. Al-Qasmi pointed out that the GIS helps us mainly to connect the environmental, demographic and temporal factors to the health issues in order to understand the causes of health risks.

It is worth mentioning that the Ministry of Health paid great attention to the GIS, where the GIS is being applied in many fields through using in the optimal distribution of the health institutions, as well as establishing a large geographic database to share the data between the other sectors. In addition, GIS is being used in emergency cases, especially in climate conditions like cyclones and monitoring diseases.