Shaikh Masood A
The United Nations International Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Compound, Baidoa City, Somalia.
Prehosp Disaster Med. 2008 May-Jun;23(3):s35-8.
A long and protracted civil war compounded by the occurrence of nature-related disasters have forced thousands of Somalis to take refuge in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to escape violence and seek shelter. Dwellers of these camps have limited accessibility to and affordability of the fractured healthcare facilities located in nearby towns. A free, outreach, mobile, reproductive healthcare delivery system staffed with nurses and using an ambulance guided by a global information systems (GIS) map was established to address the accessibility and affordability issues hindering provision of quality reproductive healthcare to the women in the IDP camps and in the outskirts of Baidoa City, Somalia.
All 14 IDP camps in Baidoa City were visited to determine the number of families/huts, and to acquire their global positioning system (GPS) central point locations. Global information systems (GIS) shape files containing major roads, river, and dwellings, and straight-line distances from the base clinic to each IDP camp were computed. The objective of creating and using this specially designed map was to help nurses in determining which camps realistically could be visited on a given day, and how best to access them considering the security situation and the condition of rain-affected areas in the city.
Use of the GIS map was instrumental in facilitating the delivery of healthcare services to IDPs and ensuring that resources were adequately utilized. Free healthcare services were provided each work day for the month long duration of the project; 3,095 consultations were provided, inclusive of 948 consultations for children under the age of 16 years, and delivery of three babies.
Creation and use of a simple, need-specific GIS map in this pilot project effectively aided the logistical planning and delivery of mobile, outreach reproductive health services by directing the ambulance and nurses safely to accessible IDP camps in an area marred with long and protracted disasters from both natural and human causes.
长期的内战，再加上自然灾害的发生，迫使成千上万的索马里人逃到境内流离失所者营地避难，以躲避暴力并寻求庇护。这些营地的居民难以获得且无力负担附近城镇破败的医疗设施。为此，建立了一个免费的、外展的、流动的生殖健康护理系统，配备护士，并使用由全球信息系统（GIS）地图引导的救护车，以解决阻碍向索马里拜多阿市境内流离失所者营地及市郊妇女提供优质生殖健康护理的可及性和可负担性问题。
走访了拜多阿市所有14个境内流离失所者营地，以确定家庭/棚屋数量，并获取其全球定位系统（GPS）中心点位置。计算了包含主要道路、河流和住宅的全球信息系统（GIS）形状文件，以及从基地诊所到每个境内流离失所者营地的直线距离。创建并使用这一专门设计的地图的目的是帮助护士确定在给定日期实际可以走访哪些营地，以及考虑到安全局势和该市受雨水影响地区的状况，如何以最佳方式前往这些营地。
使用GIS地图有助于向境内流离失所者提供医疗服务，并确保资源得到充分利用。在为期一个月的项目期间，每个工作日都提供免费医疗服务；共提供了3095次咨询，其中包括为16岁以下儿童提供的948次咨询，并接生了3名婴儿。
在这个试点项目中，创建并使用简单的、针对需求的GIS地图有效地协助了后勤规划和流动外展生殖健康服务的提供，将救护车和护士安全地引导至一个因自然和人为原因遭受长期灾害的地区中可到达的境内流离失所者营地。
