Geographic Information Systems and the Selection of Priority Areas for Control of Tsetse-transmitted Trypanosomiasis in Africa

In this paper, Tim Robinson describes the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to prioritize areas for tsetse and trypanosomiasis control in Zambia. Digital maps of land tenure, percentage agriculture, stocking rates and relative arable potential are combined within a GIS to identify areas where trypanosomiasis is a direct constraint to agricultural development and where the presence of tsetse prevents access to areas adjacent to those under high pressure from livestock and agriculture. The techniques described in this paper could be applied to a range of livestock diseases in many parts of the world.