Utilizing GIS to Reduce Child Mortality: Strategic Policy Actions for Health Equity

Under-five mortality remains a critical issue with persistent geographic disparities. While Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can pinpoint mortality hotspots and local risk factors, its integration into healthcare systems is often fragmented due to inadequate infrastructure, isolated data systems, and insufficient technical expertise. This policy brief outlines five integrated recommendations: investing in sustainable GIS infrastructure and governance, adopting advanced interactive technologies, improving data interoperability, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and capacity development, and enhancing community involvement with an equity focus. These measures would transform GIS from a basic mapping tool into a dynamic decision-support system. By integrating facility-based reports, community health worker data, and demographic surveillance, this system enables near-real-time identification of mortality hotspots. Consequently, it optimizes resource allocation and supports culturally appropriate, equity-driven interventions to effectively address geographic inequalities in child survival.