Lessons Learnt and Relevant Considerations
Collaboration: Providing local teams with equipment to collect or map health boundary data is insufficient without additional technical and financial support. No quality data collection can be expected if field offices struggle to obtain necessities such as internet access, salaries, or equipment. Additionally, open standards are important to increase collaboration and interoperability, with more participatory approaches needed in the development of technology and data tools. 28
Political sensitivity: The methodology should be able to address or mitigate conflict or friction resulting from the creation and distribution of health boundary data (e.g contested boundaries) through adequate advocacy and community engagement.
Surveillance data: Not all countries have the same/standard definitions for diseases. Country specificities must be dealt with using WHO standards or data dictionaries for instance.
Ecological factors: Mapping social determinants of health (such as land cover/land use) could link to needs and priorities of epidemiological research.
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