Public spatial data, Python and QGIS at the service of health impact assessment in Andalusia

Abstract

Better statistical geodata mean better policies and the experience of the Andalusian Ministry of Health makes a good example about it. Uncertainty in the availability of accurate information on the number and characteristics of populations potentially affected by an intervention is often the major limiting factor in the effectiveness of any impact assessment. One of the keys to the successful implementation of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Andalusia has been the availability of georeferenced population data in grids disseminated
by the Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia. These data allow the administration and the economic and social agents to face the great challenges posed by the HIA: Identification and characterization of vulnerable population. Technology and free software enabled to go a step further, providing tools for citizens to facilitate the characterization and spatial representation of the indicators necessary for the preparation of assessment reports. It is in this context where a QGIS plugin has been developed using the Python programming language that facilitates accessibility to the geospatial data indicated and its subsequent processing.