Application of Geographical Information Systems in Mapping Disease Burden and Health Facility Distribution in Kano State, North West Nigeria

Spatial analysis tools including Geographical Information Systems are increasingly applied in public health planning to identify service gaps and optimise health resource allocation. This study applies Geographical Information Systems to map disease burden patterns and health facility distribution in Kano State, aiming to identify spatial disparities in healthcare access. A cross-sectional spatial analysis design is used, combining secondary disease burden data from Kano State Health Management Information System with facility GPS coordinates, population distribution data from the 2022 projected census figures, and road network data from the Kano State Geographic Information Service. Disease burden maps are generated for malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal mortality, overlaid with facility catchment areas to identify underserved zones. ArcGIS software is used for geospatial analysis, and descriptive epidemiological statistics are computed in SPSS. The Accessibility Analysis Framework and Thiessen polygon methods are applied to model catchment coverage. Evidence from Kano State's health sector annual report indicates that 22 out of 44 local government areas have fewer health facilities than required by national primary healthcare norms. Findings will provide Kano State's Ministry of Health and Planning Commission with geo-referenced evidence for health facility siting, mobile health team deployment, and equitable resource prioritisation. Keywords: Geographical Information Systems, disease mapping, health facility distribution, spatial analysis, Kano State.