Mapathon!

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How to use mapping to improve health

Please create an OpenStreetMap Account!

• Guide: tinyurl.com/osmlogin
• Create an OpenStreetMap (OSM) account
• Verify email
• We’ll have volunteers around to help!

A recurrent killer

“Miasma” theory

Meet John Snow

• Physician
• Data-driven thinker
• Skeptical of the miasma theory
• Compared cholera between different water companies in London

Meet John Snow

• Started tracking cases
• Street addresses of deceased individuals
• Interviewed residents where they obtained their water

Find spatial evidence for his theory that �the disease was waterborne

1. Clustered Cases
2. Workhouse with no deaths
3. Far-away people got sick

Communicating his Findings

September 7, 1854

• Dr. Snow advocated in front of the Board of Guardians
• Provided statistical and spatial evidence on cholera deaths
• The pump’s handle has removed the next day

The Truth

• A baby's diaper contaminated with cholera had been dumped into a neighboring sewage pit
• The cesspools’ walls corroded
• Sewage with cholera leaked into the well of the Broad Street Pump

How is Mapping Used Today?

Fremont, California

Source: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/FR:2014_West_Africa_Ebola_Response

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Gueckedou, Guinea

Gueckedou after remote mapping

What happens when you don’t have maps?

What is Missing Maps?

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• 2014 collaboration
• Red Cross
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
• Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT)
• Less-mapped communities
• Less economic incentive
• Drastic change due to natural disasters
• Refugee camps

Sources: https://www.missingmaps.org/, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/oct/06/missing-maps-human-genome-project-unmapped-cities, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJgWZR_bXg

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Sources: https://www.missingmaps.org/, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/oct/06/missing-maps-human-genome-project-unmapped-cities, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJgWZR_bXg

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• Built on OpenStreetMap - “Wikipedia of Maps”
• Open source
• Community input
• “Accessible, respectful, and comprehensive” maps

How Does Missing Maps Work?

Source: https://www.missingmaps.org/

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How is this information used?

• Frontline humanitarian assistance
• Locations of malnourished children
• Epidemic contact-tracing
• Comprehensive vaccination → herd immunity
• Proactive Measures
• Disaster preparedness
• Climate resilience/sustainable development
• Preventative public health

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Sources: https://www.missingmaps.org/, https://www.hotosm.org/what-we-do, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJgWZR_bXg,

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Impact

• Humanitarian responses to crises like:
• 2014-2016 - West African Ebola Outbreak
• 2017 - Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico
• 2023 - Libyan floods
• 2024-present - rebuilding southern Lebanon
• ~180K Missing Maps contributors
• 63,670,336 buildings
• 1,161,339 km of roads
• 250 million people

Sources: https://www.missingmaps.org/, https://www.hotosm.org/updates/filling-osm-buildings-data-gaps-in-lebanon/,

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Mapathons!!

• Collaborative events held all across the world
• Improve accuracy and completeness of maps for under-mapped and at-risk communities
• For all skill levels

Sources: https://www.missingmaps.org/, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/oct/06/missing-maps-human-genome-project-unmapped-cities, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJgWZR_bXg

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Let’s get Mapping!!

Our Focus: South Sudan Vaccination campaign

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
• In 2023, two-thirds of South Sudan’s healthcare facilities were non-functional
• Vaccine campaign for 1.5 Million children
• Mapping the villages in the area so MSF knows where exactly they need to go

Sources: https://reliefweb.int/report/mozambique/mozambique-tropical-cyclone-jude-situation-report-no-1-following-flash-update-no-5-1-april-2025; https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/mozambique/mozambique-2025-tropical-cyclone-jude-humanitarian-response-4-april-2025-enpt#:~:text=The%20Jude%20Humanitarian%20Response%20Plan,between%20March%20and%20June%202025.

Please create an OpenStreetMap Account!

• Guide: tinyurl.com/osmlogin
• Create an OpenStreetMap (OSM) account
• Verify email
• We’ll have volunteers around to help!

Step 1: Set up an OSM Account

• Please enter: tinyurl.com/osmlogin
• Create an OpenStreetMap (OSM) account
• Verify Email
• Log-in to Missing Maps Task Manager using OpenStreetMap account
• We’ll have volunteers around to help!

Step 2: Find South Sudan Project

Explore Projects -> Enter one of the following task numbers:

• #48879

Step 3: Open up Project

• Read info and instructions, if desired
• Click Orange “Contribute button” in bottom right corner
• Click on a white square
• Then click “Start Mapping”

Step 4: Get Familiar with Mapping Interface

Step 5: Align Imagery

• There may already be buildings mapped!
• Click “b” or go to background settings on right-handed toolbar
• Instructions under imagery offset

Step 6: Map Buildings

Rectangular buildings:

• Trace outline of building (usually rectangle/square) using area tool
• Correct for right angles with “q” key
• Label it as “Building”

Circular buildings:

• Draw a triangular area over the building using area tool
• Make circular with “o” key
• Label it as “Building”

Zoom in to get detailed view!

Mapping Building Tips!

• Help, I can’t tell if something is a building!
• Sharp objects that stick out from surroundings
• Background -> display options
• Ask a volunteer!
• Avoid overlapping buildings or sharing nodes

What’s wrong with these buildings?

Step 7: Save Changes

• Click “Save” in upper right hand corner (20-30 buildings)
• Use “#mapldw” each time you save
• In right panel, answer “Is this task completely mapped?”
• Leave a brief description of your edits when finishing sector
• Click “Submit Task”

Other Pointers

• “m” - move, “r” - rotate buildings
• Local knowledge - the local mapping community has collected extremely important local information such as place names, locations of services, and road names, so please do not delete any of these!
• Split your area - if there are too many buildings to map in your area, you can scroll down on right panel and click “split task”
• Ask questions - we’re here to help!

tinyurl.com/osmsheet

tinyurl.com/osmlogin

Project #’s:

48879

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When saving, please use

#mapldw

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Thank You for Mapping!

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We’ll send a follow-up email recapping today’s mapping accomplishments, as well as ways to continue your involvement with Missing Maps!