Gis Based Physical Accessibility to Health Facility: a Case Study of North Shewa Zone, Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia

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Date

2014-05-05

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

Population of Ethiopia is still facing higher rate of morbidity and mortality. Majority of population lives in rural areas where healthcare service is very poor. Physical accessibility to healthcare measures in terms of travel time, and distance to the nearest health facilities from people‟s residential areas. From these measurement options, this study used traveling time to reach health facilities from patients‟ home. The main aim of the study was to assess physical accessibility to health facility within an hour of travel either by walking or by vehicles. To achieve this objective, the study depends on AccessMod 4.0 model and incorporates population, landuse, road network, digital terrain model, location of health care facilities and travelling time scenarios. Population distribution data were prepared by interpolating population at Kebele level. Land-cover data for the study area was prepared from Landsat enhanced thematic mapper plus satellite images and classified into five landcover types by using supervised method of image classification. Classified landcover types were assigned traveling speed per hour in the traveling scenario table. Results obtained from the model provide hospitals serving about 72937(4%) peoples and health centers 240,473(13%) out of the whole population in an hour of travel time either by walking or by vehicles, and covers 4,167 km2 and 704.91 km2 area, respectively. Hence, priority must be given to areas with lower health facility population ratio and areas where there are access limitations to these facilities within the defined scenario.

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Keywords

Accessibility, GIS, Health Facility, Travelling Scenario

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