2.2 Mapping AMR data

Geospatial data surround us. Every day many of us turn to maps to help navigate our way or look at different countries in the world. Maps are a great way to analyse geospatial data, which is data with a geographic value such as Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, Geographic Information System (GIS) data, address or postcode. With the increasing use of maps (particularly electronic ones) in daily life, they can offer an intuitive data presentation for non-specialist data users.

Maps are used extensively in disease surveillance because they can be used to display information on the spread of diseases across different geographic regions. For example, Figure 13 is a map where different colours are used to represent different categories of the indicator of interest (in this case, the number of countries enrolled in GLASS).

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Figure 13 Number of countries enrolled in GLASS in 2017–2018 (WHO, 2019)

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World map showing countries enrolled in GLASS in 2017–18 highlighted in pink.

Figure 13 Number of countries enrolled in GLASS in 2017–2018 (WHO, 2019)

Because maps are so effective at telling a story, they are used by governments, NGOs, non-profits, public health departments, the media and at local levels to understand the situation in different areas.

Maps answer spatial questions about your data and can help you understand trends or patterns. It is a good idea to ask yourself whether a map is the best way to display data. If the answer is yes, then you need to ensure your map represents your data accurately, in sufficient detail and attractively.

The strengths and limitations of maps are listed below: