Washington, D.C., 17 June 2026 (PAHO) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), in collaboration with Esri, concluded the Advanced GIS Training Series (2025–2026) with a virtual technical session on geospatial data management. The regional initiative was designed to strengthen the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in public health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery across the Americas.
Over the course of the series, participants explored practical applications of GIS for public health emergencies, including spatial statistics, risk modeling, and geospatial data management. Esri delivered the final webinar, titled Geodata Management Workflows with ArcGIS Tools: Practical Applications. Through practical demonstrations using ArcGIS tools, participants explored geospatial data management workflows to improve data quality, streamline processes, and support public health surveillance, risk assessment, and emergency operations.
The final session was attended by staff from PAHO Country Offices and professionals from Ministries of Health working in health emergencies, epidemiology, and geographic information systems across 11 countries in the Americas, as well as participants from other WHO regions. Across the Advanced GIS Training Series, a total of 100 participants from 21 countries in the Americas took part in the training activities, reflecting strong regional interest in strengthening the application of GIS for health emergency management.
The Advanced GIS Training Series supported the implementation of the Strategy on Epidemic Intelligence for Strengthening Early Warning of Health Emergencies 2024–2029, particularly Line of Action 2, which focuses on the development of technical capacities. Through the collaboration between PAHO and Esri, participants gained practical skills to apply geospatial technologies in support of evidence-informed decision-making and emergency management across the Region.
PAHO thanks Esri and its technical experts for their collaboration and continued support in advancing the use of geospatial technologies for public health emergency management in the Americas.
