A study of geo-spatial hotspots for the occurrence of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has affected mankind for over 5000 years and it continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The 1990 WHO report on the Global Burden of Disease ranked TB as the seventh most morbidity-causing disease in the world, and expected it to continue in the same position up to 2020. India is the global capital of tuberculosis, accounting for one fifth of the global incidence and 2/3rd of the cases in South East Asia. Nearly 40% of the Indian population is infected with the TB bacillus. Due to lack of proper health services and inacessiblty, the situation is very grim in Uttarakhand state of India. The present book deals with the investigation of statistically significant clusters of TB in three districts of Kumaun region of Uttarakhand in relation to socio-economic and educational coordinates. Spatial scan statistic and GIS have been used to study the geo-spatial hotspots of TB in the region. The book displays the use of different statistical and geographical tools to analyze the gravity of this menace so as to empower the health care providers to chalk out effective strategies to curb its growth.