Access to Healthcare and Spatialisation of Resources in Sub-saharan Africa: A GIS Solution to Mobility and Treatment of Patients in the West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Access to health and availability of sanitary resources is a major deterrent to mobility and treatment in sub-Saharan African towns. If it is not a problem of distance, perhaps it will be that of existing health infrastructure and know-how. This article posits that the incongruence in the availability of health units and unsatisfactory alertness has affected care in the West Region. A physical- access-ratio analysis was done to determine the distance between the health resources and population through a GPS and WGS 84 for the presentation of results. Some 120 questionnaires were administered to patients and health personnel to have first-hand information on the ratio and health need of the area. Results from findings divulge an unequal distribution of health units in the West with 51.3% concentrated in five districts and 48.7% in fifteen. The ratio of population to available health unit is 2,543 inhabitants per unit which is commendable to the WHO 10,000 inhabitants per unit standard. Unfortunately this ratio is unevenly distributed within the region as districts with a high prevalence level of diseases possess less health units. The region is 78.6% accessible in the distance of households to health unit of 5km maximum of WHO standard with 21.4% of some areas at 20km away. With an uneven distribution of inhabitants to health personnel in the region, there is a need to re-adjust the ratio. This paper advocates for a health unit and resources map to facilitate mobility and reduce health discrepancies at best in the area.