ISPRS - Commission VIII - Remote Sensing Applications and Policies Working Group VIII / 2 - Public Health, 2008-2012

Our mission:

As a new working group in Commission VIII, we are focused on applications of remote sensing and other Earth observing technologies to understand how the natural environment contributes to environmental (asthma, cholera, meningitis, malaria, yellow fever) and infectious/zoonotic (AIDS, TB, influenza, gastroenteritis, plague) diseases.  One of the areas of interest is identifying Earth observing data that are used to improve models and to enhance surveillance systems, decision support tools, and early warning systems.  The working group also aims to reach out to colleagues not only in the scientific community, but also in the health and well-being communities of practice to begin a dialog and share information between these two communities.  This mission is supported by the working group's terms of reference and a variety of ISPRS and other related venues and opportunities.

Terms of Reference:

• Integrate Earth observations products with enhanced predictive modeling capabilities for early warning and surveillance of environmental impacts on human health in cooperation with other international, national, and regional organizations and activities
• Take a leadership role in appropriate GEO health tasks in accordance with the 10-year implementation plan
• Participate in the ICSU initiatives including the GeoUnions Health Group and the Science for Health and Well-being (SHWB) initiative
• Contribute to the ISPRS book series focusing on environmental effects on human health
• Develop a registry for human health projects and products that use Earth observations and kindred technologies
• Bridge the Earth observing communities of practice and human health communities of practice by including health professionals in ISPRS-sanctioned technical sessions, workshops, and symposia

Working Group Officers: