AGENT BASED SIMULATION AND GIS MAPPING OF TUBERCULOSIS TRANSMISSION: A CASE STUDY IN DAET, CAMARINES NORTE

Tuberculosis or TB is still a major health concern, more so in developing countries, apart from Philippines where there are about 591, 000 new cases of the disease every year. This research aims to describe transmission of TB in Daet, Camarines Norte using GIS and ABS in spatial and temporal modelling of the disease to determine hotspots that will benefit from targeted interventions. Based on the eight barangays described in the study and with the use of NetLogo simulation models and QGIS mapping, focus interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals and selected community members. This talking points Alawihao and Bibirao barangays as districts that are always affected with factors such as mobility rates or coverage of interventions known to alter transmission rates. Using GIS mapping, distance from the health facilities was also confirmed important in preventing the spread of the diseases. The results show how ABS and GIS could be applied to improve the understanding of public health dynamics with a clear focus on the TB issue, to develop models for real time assessment of the impact of the disease and accurate predictions of potential outbreaks. Improving the recovery rate and minimizing the focus on a specific health program are essential mechanisms to curb on transmission.