GroupMappers

GroupMappers is a crowdsourcing initiative based in Bangladesh that uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to address critical public health issues through the utilization of mapping and data analysis for enhanced public health outcomes led by youth-based voluntary group consisting of experts and students from different backgrounds working towards empowering communities. Initially focused on mapping isolated communities in southeastern Bangladesh, we expanded the scope by integrating activities such as collecting spatial data, analyzing disease distribution, and assisting the government with healthcare interventions across the country. Today, GroupMappers is a dynamic force in Bangladesh's public health landscape. Led by Prof. Richard Maude and Sazid Ibna Zaman of the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), we collaborate closely with the Communicable Disease Control division of the Directorate General of Health Services. It is organized by MORU Epidemiology Department and is funded by a Public Engagement Bursary from the Wellcome Trust. Specializes in spatial epidemiology, participatory GIS (PGIS), spatial data collection and management, as well as mapping and visualization, GroupMappers leveraging its expertise to make a meaningful impact. GroupMappers aims to facilitate the realization of an inclusive Geoinformatics-based platform by implementing specific measures. This involves harnessing the expertise of highly skilled youths to generate data, which will then be openly accessible online. Through this initiative, GroupMappers seeks to maximize the utility of the data for various applications, including supporting critical decision-making processes and informing policymaking endeavors.