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 outcomes demonstrate how could be used further ABS and GIS in order to enhance the understanding of the public health processes with the view to refining the directions of the TB topic, in the further assessment of the real time impact of a disease and in the making of models of potential future outbreaks. Enhancing the recovery rate, and reducing emphasis on a given health program to check on transmission is another mechanism.