GEOTECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO PUBLIC HEALTH: TOOLS FOR SPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS AND DECISION-MAKING SUPPORT

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate the applications of geotechnologies in health surveillance, identify methodological and operational gaps in current practice, and propose minimum procedural recommendations to improve the quality of georeferencing, the reproducibility of analyses, and the effectiveness of territorial prioritization. Based on a literature review and empirical case studies, we show that tools such as GIS, remote sensing, geoprocessing, GNSS, and WebGIS enable the integration of environmental, demographic, socioeconomic, and health databases to produce maps and spatiotemporal indicators that reveal relevant epidemiological patterns. In local applications, spatial analyses revealed distinct patterns, case clustering in municipal centers, dispersion associated with transport corridors, and heterogeneity in insular areas, which supported eco-epidemiological interpretations and the identification of priority areas. At the same time, we documented persistent operational limitations, including incomplete and low-precision coordinates in notification forms, underreporting, the absence of standardized protocols, and a shortage of reproducible workflows and technical training within health authorities. We conclude that geotechnologies are essential for monitoring, preventing, and controlling adverse health events, provided that georeferencing is standardized, staff receive continuous training, and reproducible workflows (e.g., scripts and procedures) that connect data to territorial decision-making are adopted.