Spatial Analysis of Health Facilities in Suleja, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Health undoubtedly is a prerequisite for global liveability of man. Despite government policies on the provision and delivery of healthcare to all, the spatial distribution of such health facilities are subject to a number of social and commercial influences that do not take into account the healthcare needs of the population. The objective of this study was to map out the location of health facilities in Suleja, Niger State. The locations of all hospitals and clinics in the study area were identified and mapped using a combination of spatial GIS tools.  The locational quotient was utilised to visualise spatial distributions and degree of concentration of all thirty-seven (37) identified health facilities. Nearest Neighbourhood Analysis (NNA) was used to establish the distribution pattern of hospitals and clinics in the study area. Hospitals showed evidence of dispersed distribution with a z-score of 5.63 implying a significant level of accessibility, while the pattern of clinic location appears to indicate an insignificant level of accessibility with a z-score of 0.43.The research proffer recommendations considering healthcare needs of the population provision for future health facilities and frequent assessment of existing health facilities by concerned health agencies/ministries.

Key Word: Distribution, Health facility, Planning location, Facility