GIS EXPLANATION OF HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN UKRAINE

D. Nikolaenko, V. Triukhan, V. Nikitina, M. Romanchouk

Research Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Kyiv, Ukraine

admin@ukrmap.com.ua

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has excellent spatial diversity. Epidemical diffusion is not a random process in isotropic space. The non-uniformity of epidemical diffusion demands research as a comprehensive space-time process. For GIS explanation of HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ukraine, we need a system of terminology. The first attempt to introduce such a system of terminology was in 2004 (D. Nikolaenko). System of Terminology for GIS explanation of the HIV/AIDS diffusion includes few levels:

1. The concepts & terminology connected to development of territories (types of development of territories, types of settlement, transportation network and flows).

2. HIV/AIDS epidemic as a synergetic process (HIV/AIDS diffusion, stages of HIV/AIDS diffusion).

3. Qualitative characteristics of HIV/AIDS epidemic (standard of HIV/AIDS diffusion, epidemical constants).

4. Morphological units (epidemical point, epidemical route, epidemical center, epidemical micro center, epidemical functional center, epidemical zone, net diffusion, micro net diffusion).

5. Connections of the morphological units and streams (primary HIV/AIDS diffusion, secondary spread of HIV/AIDS, epidemical network, epidemical gradient, epidemical "cascade", epidemical pressure).

6. Homo sapiens and HIV/AIDS territorial risk (territory of risk, personal risk).

Some definitions. Diffusion of HIV/AIDS – synergetic process of the HIV/AIDS spread in developed territories. Words "diffusion" and "spread" are considered as synonyms.

Territory of risk - the most vulnerable territory, from the point of view of the spread of HIV/AIDS. The relative parameters of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS on vulnerable territories are higher. The risk of being infected in such territories is much higher than in others. For the definition of territories of risk, it is very important to determine areas for comparison and the analysis of HIV/AIDS diffusion accurately. The comparison of global and local parameters, without taking into account prominent features of HIV/AIDS diffusion is senseless. This is very important for understanding the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the realization of Space Precision Prophylactics.

The given system of terms allows us to describe the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a space-time process and determine precisely spatial patterns of the spread of epidemical parameters in GIS.