Insights and Lessons from Mapping, Analyzing, and Assessing COVID-19 Using a Web-Based GIS Approach in Khartoum State, Sudan

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for a paradigm shift from traditional health surveillance to real-time, spatial monitoring. This research presents a comprehensive digital geospatial framework that maps and visualises the spatial spread, recovery rates, and health infrastructure of COVID-19 across the seven localities of Khartoum State using a Web-GIS approach. Its aim is to address the "health-wealth gap" caused by spatial inequalities and provides practical lessons for enhancing public health surveillance systems in Khartoum, Sudan. Using data from the Ministry of Health during the first two waves, a Web-GIS was developed to integrate epidemiological, demographic, and spatial data. Including population data for all 5,213,058 residents ensures a precise assessment of infection levels beyond case counts. ArcGIS mapping and hotspot analysis enable detailed visualisation of pandemic trends, revealing significant spatial disparities and a clear link between economic resources and health outcomes. While Khartoum's central locality, with its dense healthcare infrastructure, experienced the highest infection and recovery rates, peripheral regions such as Umbada and Sharg Elneel reported fewer cases, possibly due to underreporting. The findings emphasise that spatial disparities—not merely population density—shape transmission dynamics within Khartoum State. Based on this analysis, several actionable lessons are proposed, such as prioritising hotspots by reallocating resources to high-density residential and commercial areas identified through weekly ArcGIS maps, deploying mobile units, enhancing WASH facilities, and conducting screenings there. Implementing safe zone protocols with screenings at major hubs like Khartoum and Bahri, as well as regional transit points, is essential. Supplies such as masks and beds should be allocated based on data, focusing on densely populated areas rather than imposing broad lockdowns.