The Next Challenge in Earth Observation: Advancing Science To Affect Better Health

Spatial statistics and its use in epidemiology have advanced rapidly, enabling integration of earth observation and disease data to analyze and predict disease patterns, e.g. Bayesian methods have enabled the quantification of uncertainty in spatial predictions, potentially providing useful tools for health decision makers to allocate resources more effectively. This potential has not yet been realized: reasons will be explored and suggestions made for maximizing the health impact of this field.