Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
morbidity and mortality due to these diseases. Properly implemented coun-
termeasures based on the risk assessments may also reduce the possibility
for insecticide resistance and damage to the environment.
As new satellites with advanced sensors are continued to be developed
and launched, there will be more satellite data that will be more suitable for
disease modeling, risk assessments, and surveillance. As Earth and climate
science advance, climate prediction models that rely on satellite measure-
ments as input will also be able to better predict future precipitation, surface
temperature, and other parameters that influence disease transmission.
Consequently, we anticipate that using remote sensing will have an increas-
ingly important role for public health in the future.
One must still bear in mind, however, that certain contextual determi-
nants important to disease transmission cannot be captured or measured by
remote sensing. Such contextual determinants may include the strengthen-
ing or deterioration of public health infrastructure at a location, availability
of new treatments, reduced sensitivity of drugs, emergence of drug-resistant
pathogens, military conflicts or warlike conditions, and significant popula-
tion movements. When all of these and other contextual determinants do
not exist or are more or less unchanged, however, environmental determi-
nants are indeed the more important factors to be used for modeling dis-
ease risk.
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