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Research Abstracts on Spatial Information ScienceCSIS DAYS 2006

AIDS and the City: Examining the Spatial Characteristic of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic in Nairobi
Moses Murimi NGIGI and Yuji MURAYAMA
Division of Spatial Information Science, University of Tsukuba
Email: <murimi99@gmail.com> Web: <http://giswin.geo.tsukuba.ac.jp/sis/>(1) Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus/
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)
surveillance on pregnant women and population andhealth surveys has shown that urban areas havehigher HIV prevalence. Cities in the developing
countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa arecharacterised by high population growth rates,
disparities in infrastructure provision, urban poverty
and deteriorating environmental conditions. Thesefactors present an arena where the spatial
characteristic of the AIDS epidemic would be asheterogeneous as depicted at national and regionallevel. This paper presents an analysis effort on thespatial characteristic of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in
the city of Nairobi through a survey of thedistribution of people living with HIV and AIDS
(PLWAs).
(2) Methods: A survey of PLWAs whose welfare andself-support groups are networked by an umbrella
non-governmental organisation in the city ofNairobi, the capital of Kenya, was carried out inJanuary 2005. About 200 persons already infectedby HIV were accessed and interviewed. Questions
relating to their current residence, residence when
they got HIV infection, current living environmental
conditions, education level, occupation and income
level were sought. Utilizing some attributes fromthe 1999 population and housing census, the urban
structure of the city is depicted at the ward level.
The spatial distribution of the PLWAs is thenanalysed with the aid of the mapping and spatial

analysis capabilities of ArcView GIS software
against this urban structure.
(3) Originality: Geographical characteristic of theHIV/AIDS pandemic in countries with generalized
epidemic has always been carried at country level orfor specific ‘risk’ groups. Studies to understand thespatial characteristics of the AIDS pandemic in theurban set-up in sub-Saharan Africa are few. This
study can serve as an example in analysing theHIV/AIDS characteristics in a typical African citywhere the infection is not confined to a specific‘risk’ group like drug users and homosexuals, and as
an application of geographic information systems inunderstanding health issues.
(4) Results: Mapping the residential localities of thePLWAs reveal that HIV/AIDS is spatially present in
all administrative divisions of the city of Nairobi
with high concentration in the densely populated
wards of the city, especially those characterised byeconomic and infrastructure deprivations, andinformal settlements. In these areas residents caneasily afford basic living necessities such as housingand food, have easy access to economic survivalopportunities which include engaging in risky
behaviours, and, the PLWAs have access to medical,
social and economic support from welfare groups.
The study reveals the spatial heterogeneity of theHIV/AIDS in the city, mainly due to the pockets ofdensely populated wards in all the administrative
divisions of the city.

PLWAs (per 100,000)
101
Division boundary
Population density

Principal road

14037

130-3
6-1 000 30026 - 200 50044 - 400 3 063-6 0020
13 0 000 1 200
23 0 000 2200
36 0 000 3500
50 0 000 4 900
0-7 04000

Railway Line

Figure 1: Spatial distribution of the PLWAs interviewed against population density- 37 -