Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2025
Abstract
In this paper we describe the spatial data challenges faced in terms of providing accurate and timely analysis for a clinic during a cholera epidemic that spread through Port au Prince, Haiti in late 2022. This “triage” spatial epidemiology involved developing a bespoke geocoder that allowed for weekly maps of spread to be created in near real time. Resulting case data were also analyzed using a novel grid heatmapping approach which considers the epidemiological curve for each neighborhood. Adding further complexity during this period to both the data generation, and explaining cholera amplification and spread patterns, was a rising gang presence in the Port au Prince neighborhoods. Results identify a coastal pattern of amplification, which is expected given the informal settlement style living environments found in many of these neighborhoods. A second pattern then emerges of spread along a western and southern axis, which is far better captured in the grid heat mapping approach because of the lower numbers of patients seeking care at the clinic. The combination of traditional cartography and grid heat mapping help reveal the overall pattern of the epidemic, while also identifying key neighborhoods that require additional epidemiological investigation. Knowing why these neighborhoods played such an important role, possibly due to specific gang activity, is important in terms of understanding future disease spread in and around Port au Prince. Indeed, results presented can help contextualize official cholera reporting in 2025 where data availability is still hampered by ongoing gang rule.
Keywords
cholera, epidemic response, grid heat map, Haiti
Language
English
Publication Title
Spatial and Spatio Temporal Epidemiology
Rights
© 2025, The Author(s). This is an Open Access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Curtis, A., Ajayakumar, J., Louis, R., Rouzier, V., & Morris Jr, J. G. (2025). Providing spatial support during a major cholera outbreak in Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Creative mapping solutions in a challenging data poor environment. Spatial and spatio-temporal epidemiology, 100753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sste.2025.100753
Manuscript Version
Final Publisher Version