The most important maps used in health related researches

Abstract Geographical epidemiology can be defined as description of spatial patterns of disease incidence and mortality. It forms part of the descriptive epidemiology which is generally more concerned with producing hypothesis for the etiology of diseases, injuries or mortalities. Among the different fields of geographical epidemiology, the field of disease mapping has developed rapidly during the recent decades. As the researchers apply different kinds of maps in visualizing the health data, it is of prime necessity for health care specialists to get familiar with all those different maps and also their pros and cons. This article therefore, reviews the most important ways of mapping health data, how to design and where to apply them.