Invitation from Organising Secretary

On behalf of the Organising Committee, its gives me great pleasure to invite you to Thailand and to the First International Symposium on Health GIS– to be held in Bangkok, Thailand during December 1 – 2, 2005. This forum is being organized by the Association for Geo-Information Technology (AgIT).

The world is facing the serious challenge from new emerging diseases such as SARS, Bird Flu, Dengue, and also the old ones such as AIDS, malaria, and many others. Medicines are not the permanent and effective answers to combat them. A strategy to prevent their emergence is the key to ensure safety from these deadly diseases. There is a need to understand the spatial relationship and impact of spatial factors such as environment, land use, water use/ management, air pollution, socio-economic condition, education etc. on the human health. This will facilitate the decision makers in health sector to plan the strategy for a preparedness plan to combat the emergence of these diseases and ensure safer living to the people without the fear of diseases. Geographic Information Systems – GIS, can integrate the spatial data with health data and produce the desired knowledge for emergence of these diseases and also offer a viable solution to control them effectively. Human beings got too busy in the race of development and missed to care the health aspect. It is the time that we must come together to evolve a strategic understanding and planning to control the emerging epidemics. Many important research discoveries and new treatment options of diseases that have emerged in the last few years are the result of increased international collaborations.

As an attendee, you will be able to improve your understanding of the relationships between basic research and Geoinformatics applications. Scientific information will be presented through state-of-the-art lectures, symposia, and free communications sessions.

I invite you to share your latest scientific findings with peers from around the world. I trust that you will benefit professionally and that your attendance will contribute to the continued international exchange of the latest findings in our field. The brochure of the symposium is attached for more information. I solicit your support to an endeavor for ensuring a Safer World to the humanity, which is at risk due to epidemics and other emerging viral diseases. Please contact me for more information.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2005 Health GIS Symposium.

Health GIS Secretariat
Association for Geoinformation Technology
P.O. Box 44, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, Thailand
Tel: +662-963-9148, Fax: +662-963-9148
email: healthgis@j-geoinfo.net; healthgis@gmail.com
©2005 AgIT