Introduction

GIS is an integration of computer hardware, software and geographically referenced data. The purpose of using GIS is that maps provide an added dimension to data analysis, which helps in visualizing the complex patterns and relationships. Relationships among neighboring areas are explicit in maps which allows for the visualization of spatial patterns.

A few typical questions that can be answered by GIS are: 

· Can we identify areas wherein a particular disease is prevalent? 
· Can we get some clues about the possible factors that is responsible for a particular  disease? 
· Where to give additional sanctions for facilities and staff? 
· Where to locate an Primary Health Center? 
· Which are the areas wherein water related diseases are prevalent? 
· In which area the infant mortality rate is high? 
· Which are the areas where the birth rate is high? 

In short, GIS for Public Health, could be a useful decision support tool in formulating health schemes in a more realistic and need based manner. Even though GIS can be developed for the entire State encompassing all the characteristics of health system, in order to demonstrate GIS as a tool for decision making only small area has been chosen for presentation with only a few components of Health System.