Description
Material provided: Personalized training for end-users
Unit definition: Distance learning course staring with a one-week face-to-face training followed by a six-week ‘on-the-job’ distance learning program
Location: Zoersel, Belgium
Short description: Spatial epidemiology with VECMAP and Q-GIS
Description of the facility
Avia-GIS NV is a Belgian SME founded in 2001 that specializes in spatial risk mapping and modelling as a basis for the development of tailored spatial decision support systems applied to public-, animal- and crop health and integrated pest management. Our company has a unique market position. Only few companies operate in our domain and developed such close contacts with the industrial, institutional and academic world. We have offices in Belgium, South Africa and Guadeloupe, and are active in more than 50 countries. We focus on the development of state-of-the-art techniques that broaden the scope of conventional analyses, convert data into new insights and bridge the gap between research and decision-making including: mathematical and spatial-temporal modelling, environmental monitoring using satellites and drones, wireless “Internet of Things” (IoT) sensor networks, and satellite navigation. Our experts are specialised in environmental engineering, biology, entomology, spatial epidemiology, meteorology, spatial modelling and ICT. We focus on the development of approaches that reduce the cost of spatial sampling and increase the knowledge that can be extracted from data. Our core is understanding the spatial distribution of emerging vector-borne diseases and are now expanding this to new domains in urban- and agricultural pest management.
Training Overview
The aim of the course is to guide trainees through the process of using QGIS and VECMAP to plan the area-wide early-warning, monitoring and/ or control of vector-borne diseases or other zoonosis with a strong link to the environment. A basic knowledge of GIS is required (a separate basic online GIS course can be provided on request).
This is a personalised training program that aims at responding to the specific needs of the trainee or group of trainees. Depending on the level of the trainee(s) a baseline or advanced training course is offered. As a rule, the course includes the following three steps:
- Step 1 – defining the needs
- Step 2 – face-to-face training:
- Individual: five-day training at provider premises
- Group: three-day workshop at trainees’ premises
- Step 3 – Six-week distance learning program
Depending on the level of the trainees and the identified needs the following course components are offered:
- VECMAP:
- Planning and implementing cost-efficient surveillance campaigns:
- Point-of entry monitoring
- Invasive spread monitoring
- Endemic disease monitoring
- Building species distribution models (vectors, pathogens, hosts)
- Planning and implementing cost-efficient surveillance campaigns:
- Q-GIS:
- Base-line GIS course
- Advanced GIS applications:
- Planning disease control
- GIS decision trees for priority setting
- Mapping veterinary or public health resources
- Mapping socio-economic variables
- Integrating the time factor in a spatial analysis
- Advanced modelling involving the use of ‘R’:
- Invasion front-wave modelling
- Disease spread modelling
If required demonstration data sets will be provided by Avia-GIS.
The 1-year license cost of VECMAP is included in the course cost.
For more information about the application process please contact us.
Website: https://www.avia-gis.com
Technical Inquiries: info@avia-gis.com