Accessibility Index Research Articles

Access to Government Information and Corruption: An Empirical Investigation


 This study taps into a newly constructed index of actual access to government information with a view to finding out whether such access reduces corruption. It draws on a few cases at the micro level and on cross-country data at the macro level to investigate this research question. The study is designed to detect for methodological problems commonly encountered in regression models used to empirically investigate the causes of corruption.
 The principal finding of the study is that access to government information reduces corruption at both the micro and macro levels. Another key finding is that a supporting institutional and political environment is necessary for the effectiveness of access to government information as an anti-corruption policy tool. A third finding is that access to government information through the traditional is an effective policy tool for curbing corruption, particularly in contexts characterized by limited computer and Internet penetration in society. This study underscores the importance of using traditional media as civic engagement tools in anti-corruption policy initiatives. The policy implication here is that access to government information through the traditional media may have to be an important component of anti-corruption policy initiatives.

Index to Abstract Descriptors

PsychophysiologyVolume 58, Issue S1 p. S93-S95 Index to Abstract DescriptorsToken Access Index to Abstract Descriptors First published: 12 October 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13930Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume58, IssueS1October 2021Pages S93-S95 RelatedInformation

COVID-19-associated mortality across the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and how it compares to Europe: A comparative study.

Introduction: In late 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, discovered in the city of Wuhan, China, was found to cause a disease later named coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. In January 2020, COVID-19 first reached the Gulf region. Afterwards, the disease spread rapidly across the countries of the Gulf and the number of COVID-19 cases rose significantly. Now, more than a year later, there are only a limited number of studies regarding COVID-19 and its behavior in this region. In this article, we aim to assess the mortality caused by the disease in the Gulf region by calculating the Case Fatality Rates (CFR) for all of the Gulf Cooperation countries and comparing the results with those of Europe.Methods: Data was obtained from the official statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO) from January to May 2020. From the data, the CFR was calculated for every Gulf and European country included in the study. Following the calculation, the results were compared and analyzed. To make our comparison more accurate, we added the total number of COVID-19 tests per 1000 population and the Health Access and Quality index for each individual country.Results: CFRs in the Gulf region to May 12, 2020 were: United Arab Emirates (1.06%), Kuwait (0.69%), Saudi Arabia (0.62%), Oman (0.45%), Bahrain (0.15%), and Qatar (0.06%). Within Europe over the same time period, 10 countries had CFRs above 10%, with the majority above 3%.Conclusions: Compared to Europe, the COVID-19 mortality rate in the Gulf region has been much lower. The difference in age groups between the Gulf region and Europe may be the most important factor, mainly due to a younger population and a smaller elderly demographic in the Gulf region. Although age is a strong factor for the lower CFR in the Gulf, other factors must also be considered. These include the number of COVID-19 tests conducted per population, different country capabilities, and varying criteria for reporting COVID-19 deaths(Table–1)(Table–2).

Impact of California’s tobacco and cannabis policies on the retail availability of little cigars/cigarillos and blunt wraps

BackgroundRecent changes in California’s tobacco and cannabis policies could impact the retail availability of little cigars/cigarillos (LCCs) and blunt wraps that are used for blunt smoking. This study was intended to test whether tobacco flavor bans and minimum pack sizes of LCCs have reduced tobacco availability in California jurisdictions, whereas, permissive policies on sales and marketing of cannabis increased availability. MethodsMeasures of retail availability of LCCs and blunt wraps were obtained from the 2016–2019 longitudinal sample of licensed tobacco retailers (LTRs, n = 4062) from California’s Healthy Stores for Healthy Communities campaign. Additional data sources included the California Cannabis Local Laws database and geographic location of 1063 cannabis retailers used for constructing a spatial index of accessibility to the LTRs. Two-level generalized structural equation models were developed to assess effects of store- and jurisdiction-level predictors of change in tobacco availability (+, -, no change). ResultsNeither permissive cannabis policies nor accessibility to cannabis retailers were associated with an increase in retail availability of the tobacco products. Enactment of a tobacco flavor ban, however, was associated with reduced availability of LCCs and blunt wraps, which was more pronounced in jurisdictions that had permissive cannabis policies (i.e. policy interaction). ConclusionsA tobacco flavor ban may be an effective strategy to reduce retail availability of LCCs, blunt wraps and possibly other tobacco in California jurisdictions. This finding is of particular relevance as the tobacco industry has successfully petitioned for a referendum vote on California’s statewide flavor ban in the 2022 election.

Measuring COVID-19 vaccination coverage: an enhanced age-adjusted two-step floating catchment area model

BackgroundThere are only limited studies on access to COVID-19 vaccines and identifying the most appropriate health centres for performing vaccination in metropolitan areas. This study aimed to measure potential spatial access to COVID-19 vaccination centres in Mashhad, the second-most populous city in Iran.MethodsThe 2021 age structure of the urban census tracts was integrated into the enhanced two-step floating catchment area model to improve accuracy. The model was developed based on three different access scenarios: only public hospitals, only public healthcare centres and both (either hospitals or healthcare centres) as potential vaccination facilities. The weighted decision-matrix and analytic hierarchy process, based on four criteria (i.e. service area, accessibility index, capacity of vaccination centres and distance to main roads), were used to choose potential vaccination centres looking for the highest suitability for residents. Global Moran’s index (GMI) was used to measure the spatial autocorrelation of the accessibility index in different scenarios and the proposed model.ResultsThere were 26 public hospitals and 271 public healthcare centres in the study area. Although the exclusive use of public healthcare centres for vaccination can provide the highest accessibility in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the study area, our findings indicate that including both public hospitals and public healthcare centres provide high accessibility to vaccination in central urban part. Therefore, a combination of public hospitals and public healthcare centres is recommended for efficient vaccination coverage. The value of GMI for the proposed model (accessibility to selected vaccination centres) was calculated as 0.53 (Z = 162.42, P < 0.01). Both GMI and Z-score values decreased in the proposed model, suggesting an enhancement in accessibility to COVID-19 vaccination services.ConclusionsThe periphery and poor areas of the city had the least access to COVID-19 vaccination centres. Measuring spatial access to COVID-19 vaccination centres can provide valuable insights for urban public health decision-makers. Our model, coupled with geographical information systems, provides more efficient vaccination coverage by identifying the most suitable healthcare centres, which is of special importance when only few centres are available.Graphic abstract

Estimation of wetland biodiversity based on the hydrological patterns and connectivity and its potential application in change detection and monitoring: A case study of the Sanjiang Plain, China

A high biodiversity conservation value of a specific area generally indicates biodiversity priorities, making biodiversity conservation planning more reasonable. However, the spatial prioritization of biodiversity cannot easily indicate temporal changes because the data of many species are difficult to obtain in even a single period, let alone repeated surveys. Here, we show that the easily available wetland hydrological pattern and connectivity (HCP) variables are effective surrogates for the monitoring of biodiversity conservation value. We used the Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) method to evaluate the historical biodiversity conservation value (BCV), represented by Irreplaceability Index, by integrating the predicted spatial distribution of biodiversity features in 1995. We then calculated the wetland HPC indexes in randomly setup samples within a certain radius and analysed the correlation between the BCV and HPC indexes with a regression method. Finally, we further simulated the numerical and spatial changes of the BCV in different periods to illustrate its variation regularity. We found that the BCV considerably decreased in the study area. In conclusion, we confirmed that the wetland HPC indexes are significantly correlated with and can simulate the BCV indicator. We further identified the spatial locations of these degraded areas and proposed conservation and restoration scenarios for the study area. This study verified the impacts of HPC changes on wetland biodiversity caused by human-induced land use change; it also provides a reference for long-term assessment of wetland biodiversity change. Significance statementAmong other abilities, effective biodiversity conservation should have the abilities to both prioritize the conservation value and detect its spatial changes. However, the assessment of biodiversity conservation value needs sufficient and high-quality species occurrence data and multi-period comparison. Here, we find that the relatively well accessible wetland hydrological pattern and connectivity indexes are effective surrogates for the change detection of wetland biodiversity conservation value. This means that wetland biodiversity conservation planners can monitor the biodiversity conservation situations without resource-consuming investigations to obtain species' occurrence data and repeated prioritization of the conservation value.

Accessibility of urban park benefits with different spatial coverage: Spatial and social inequity

The increasing environmental deterioration that cities face, such as heat island effects, noise and air pollution, can be mitigated by urban park benefits (UPBs). As a result, UPBs are closely related to the well-being of urban residents and are considered an important element of environmental equity. However, the spatial coverage of UPBs considered in previous studies is restricted to the location of urban parks, and the spatial transfer capability of some UPB types is largely ignored. This study divides UPBs into four categories, i.e., park entry benefits, small space benefits, medium space benefits, and size-determined benefits. We investigate the acquisition levels of these four UPB categories in Shanghai's central city by park accessibility indices, integrating spatial and social dimensions. The results show that sub-districts with higher socioeconomic status are more likely to have good access to the four UPB categories. Fortunately, elderly and unemployed individuals also have easier access to UPBs as do those with higher socio-economic status. Despite parents' desire to have parks nearby for their children's growth, inequities of access to UPBs are found among children. The research methods and results of this paper have implications for urban planning practices.

Corporate Members and Index to Advertisers

Information DisplayVolume 37, Issue 5 p. 56-56 Corporate Members and Index to AdvertisersFree Access Corporate Members and Index to Advertisers First published: 15 September 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/msid.1251AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume37, Issue5September/October 2021Pages 56-56 RelatedInformation

Development and Validation of a Web-Based Reading Test for Normal and Low Vision Patients.

PurposeTo develop and validate a web-based reading test for normal and low vision patients.MethodsThis is a prospective, comparative trial. The web-based Democritus Digital Acuity Reading Test (wDDART) was developed. wDDART introduces a series of advanced characteristics (advanced text calibration, computer-vision-based estimation of patient’s distance, and automatic calculation of patient’s reading times) that facilitate the overall examination procedure. wDDART’s reading parameters [reading acuity (RA), maximum reading speed (MRS), critical print size (CPS) and reading accessibility index (ACC)] were compared to the corresponding ones of its conventional Windows-based reading test (DDART) in a sample of normal and low vision participants. wDDART’s test–retest reliability for all reading parameters was evaluated in a 15-day time-window.ResultsOne hundred patients (normal vision group-NVG: 70; low vision group-LVG: 30 patients) responded to DDART and wDDART. Non-significant differences between the two reading tests were found for all parameters in NVG and LVG. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between the two tests demonstrated good or excellent correlation for RA, MRS, ACC and moderate correlation for CPS. Test–retest reliability was excellent for RA and ACC, while ICCs were 0.715–0.895 for MRS and CPS.ConclusionThe wDDART demonstrated sufficient validity and repeatability making it suitable for clinical and research settings.Clinicaltrials.gov IdentifierNCT04618224.

Impact of travel time uncertainties on modeling of spatial accessibility: a comparison of street data sources

ABSTRACT GIS-based spatial access measures have been used extensively to monitor social equity and to help develop policy. However, inherent uncertainties in the road datasets used in spatial access estimates remain largely underreported. These uncertainties might result in unrecognized biases within visualization products and decision-making outcomes that strive to improve social equity based on seemingly egalitarian accessibility metrics. To better understand and address these uncertainties, we evaluated variations in travel impedance for car and bus transportation using proprietary, volunteer-information-based, and free (non-volunteer-information-based) street networks. We then interpreted the measured variations through the lens of street data uncertainty and its propagation in a common E2SFCA model of spatial accessibility. Results indicated that travel impedance disagreement propagates through the modeling process to effect agreement of spatial access index (SPAI) estimates among different street sources, with larger uncertainties observed for bus travel than car travel. Higher impedance coefficients (β), a model parameter, reduced the impact of street-source variations on estimates. Less urbanized regions were found to experience higher street-source variations when compared with the core-metropolitan area. We also demonstrated that a relative spatial access measure – the spatial access ratio (SPAR) – reduced uncertainties introduced by the choice of street datasets. Careful selection of reliable street sources and model parameters (e.g. higher β), as well as consideration of the potential for bias, particularly for less urbanized areas and areas reliant on public transportation, is warranted when leveraging SPAI to inform policy. When reliable/accurate road network data are not accessible or data quality information is not available, the SPAR is a suitable alternative or supplement to SPAI for visualization and analyses.

Effect of healthcare accessibility on cocoa farmers food security in Ondo State, Nigeria

Effect of healthcare accessibility on cocoa farmers’ food security explored latest research from the economic, medical and food security literature concerning the eminence of care, physical accessibility, cost, availability of the right type of care for those in need, and its significances on food security, with a focus on healthcare personnel availability. A multistage (five-stage) sampling procedure was employed to select 200 farmers and data were collected using structured questionnaire. Accessibility Index (AI), Food Security Index (FSI) and Tobit regression model were used for the analysis. The accessibility index shows that Owo LGA has 5 patients per doctor, Idanre LGA has 9 patients per doctor and Ile Oluji LGA has 8 patients per doctor while Ondo West LGA has 7 patients per doctor. Consultation cost, service cost and diagnosis cost were found to have negative effect on farmers’ income while medicine and surgical cost were found significant to farmers’ income. Although 65.50% of the respondents were food secured, the number of patient per different health personnel and facility as well as family size (0.000) have a significant relationship with farmers' food security status. Thus, it is suggested that more deployment of health care officers and facilities are needed in the study areas. Key words: Food security, farmers, healthcare, accessibility, income, cocoa.

The Effects of Financial Intermediation on Bank Performance in Nigeria from 1980-2019

The study empirically examines the effect of financial intermediation on bank performance in Nigeria from 1980-2018. A time series data from IMF Global financial development database and World Bank data base was used. A diagnostic analysis of test for stationarity was conducted to ensure that regression results were not spurious, using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test; the results indicate all the variables are stationary at 1(1) respectively. The ARDL result indicates that LROA has a negative and significant relationship with LROA; LFID has a positive but non-significant relationship with LROA; LFIE has a negative and significant relationship with LROA and LFII has positive and significant relationship with LROA respectively. The R 2 indicate the fitness of model and relationships with the explanatory variables. Furthermore, the result of Granger Causality test indicates that the relationship between financial intermediation and bank performance is Bidirectional. The study adopted IMF Global Financial Development index indicators on access, depth, efficiency and stability. The dependent and independent variables used for the study includes; bank performance proxy with return on asset (LROA) while, financial intermediation proxy with financial development index (LFDI), financial intuitions access index (LFIA), financial institution depth index (LFID), financial institution efficiency index (LFIE), and financial institution index (LFII). While E-views econometric statistical package 10.0 was used for the data analysis. The study recommends among others, that the key players in the financial sector should ensure those policies towards improving access to financial services and its efficiency as a major driving force and sustainable economic development propeller bearing a life wire for the survival of the banking industry; as such both the financial and regulatory authorities must provide adequate score cards on the number of bank branches and outlets either in quarterly basis or yearly for proper management as to avoid excessive use of these policies to prevent economic distortions.

Measuring Regional Performance in the Italian NHS: Are Disparities Decreasing?

Given the regional disparities that historically characterize the Italian context, in this paper we propose a framework to evaluate the regional health care systems’ performance in order to contribute to the debate on the relationship between decentralisation of health care and equity. To investigate the regional health systems performance, we refer to the OECD Health Care Quality Indicators project to construct of a set of five composite indexes. The composite indexes are built on the basis of the non-compensatory Adjusted Mazziotta-Pareto Index, that allows comparability of the data across units and over time. We propose three indexes of health system performance, namely Quality Index, Accessibility Index and Cost-Expenditure Index, along with a Health Status Index and a Lifestyles Index. Our framework highlights that regional disparities still persist. Consistently with the evidence at the institutional level, there are regions, particularly in Southern Italy, which record lower levels of performance with high levels of expenditure. Continuous research is needed to provide policy makers with appropriate data and tools to build a cohesive health care system for the benefit of the whole population. Even if future research is needed to integrate our framework with new indicators for the calculation of the indexes and with the identification of new indexes, the study shows that a scientific reflection on decentralisation of health systems is necessary in order to reduce inequalities.

Contextualising gender intersectionality with the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesTo explore the association of gender inequality index (GII) with healthcare access and quality index (HAQI) for the male to female ratio of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Study designSecondary analysis of COVID-19 cases with GII and HAQI datasets. MethodsData for sex-disaggregated COVID-19 cases were collected from Global Health 50/50, for GII from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and for HAQI from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). We used Spearman's correlation in SPSS version 23 to evaluate the association between the variables. ResultsCambodia had the highest male to female ratio (M:F) of 4.08:1, followed by Pakistan (M:F = 2.85:1) and Nepal (M:F = 2.69:1). We observed a positive correlation between GII and M:F ratio (Spearman's rho = 0.681, P-value <0.001) and a negative correlation between HAQI and M:F ratio (Spearman's rho = −0.676, P-value <0.001). ConclusionsCountries with institutionalised gender disparities and poor healthcare access and quality tend to have higher M:F ratios of confirmed COVID-19 cases; thus, highlighting underutilisation of testing services, influenced by multiple individuals, social and policy factors. Robust gender-based data are required to understand disparities throughout the continuum of care and to devise gender-responsive pandemic strategies.

Can Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide with Blood Eosinophil Count Have a Place in the Diagnostic Algorithm for Asthma?

Objective: Guidelines suggest using bronchial provocation testing (BPT), which is hard to attain, in patients with asthma-like symptoms presenting with nondiagnostic spirometric tests. To eliminate the risk of over/underdiagnosing asthma, we aimed to evaluate the predictive value of not only fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) but also other easily accessible clinical indices for ruling in/out asthma. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included adults presenting to our clinic with respiratory symptoms suggestive of asthma but with normal spirometric values and negative reversibility test, who underwent FeNO and methacholine BPT (MchBPT). Medical records were used to obtain descriptive characteristics, clinical history, allergy screening, eosinophils in peripheral blood, and spirometry. Results: Among 51 patients, 19 were diagnosed with asthma. Body mass index and blood eosinophils were significantly higher in patients with positive MchBPT (p=0.042 and p=0.037, respectively). No significant difference was found in other indices, including FeNO (p=0.293). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed the best diagnostic cutoff level for FeNO as 14 ppb and blood eosinophil as 150/μl for the prediction of positive MchBPT (with 63.16%-62.5% and 80%-61% sensitivity-specificity, respectively). These two indices were the only independent predictors of positive BHR, and the model of FeNO>14ppb combined with eos>150/μl showed 100% specificity with a 100% negative predictive value. Conclusion: Our results suggest using the combination of FeNO with blood eosinophil count as a rule-out test, adding a new step in the algorithmic diagnosis of asthma. This might avoid an unnecessary BPT procedure, reduce the risk of over/under-diagnosis of asthma, and hasten the correct diagnosis.

Creating a Composite Index to Target Recruitment of UK Students from Areas of Low Participation in Higher Education

This research presents a framework through which a new Higher Education Access and Deprivation (HEAD) composite index was created to assist UK universities in efficiently recruiting and supporting students from areas with traditionally low engagement rates in higher education. The index was designed to be easily adaptable by university staff to suit their own work priorities and/or an institution’s strategic requirements by utilising open socio-demographic data and construction techniques that require minimal technical statistical skills. Although Cornwall was used as the study area in this research, this index has been designed such that it can be readily applied elsewhere. Two differently weighted models were created using the framework – one with equal weights and the other based on the frequency the constituent indicators appeared in the reviewed academic literature. Both models were mapped across Cornwall, identifying areas of deprivation at a finer resolution than under the current widely used Participation of Local Areas (POLAR) methodology. The weighted model performed marginally better than both the equal weighted model and the current POLAR methodology when validated against external data, and additionally it worked well in both rural and urban environments leading to it being selected as the new HEAD index. The HEAD index maps smaller scale areas of deprivation than previously available, and by enabling users to investigate the underlying socio-demographic characteristics of an area, it also allows universities to create interventions, support, and policies that best targets the students they aim to recruit and teach.

Evaluating Spatiotemporal Distribution of Residential Sprawl and Influencing Factors Based on Multi-Dimensional Measurement and GeoDetector Modelling

Residential sprawl constitutes a main part of urban sprawl which poses a threat to the inhabitant environment and public health. The purpose of this article is to measure the residential sprawl at a micro-scale using a case study of Hangzhou city. An integrated sprawl index on each 1 km × 1 km residential land cell was calculated based on multi-dimensional indices of morphology, population density, land-use composition, and accessibility, followed by a dynamic assessment of residential sprawl. Furthermore, the method of GeoDetector modeling was applied to investigate the potential effects of location, urbanization, land market, and planning policy on the spatial variation of residential sprawl. The results revealed a positive correlation between CO2 emissions and residential sprawl in Hangzhou. There has been a remarkable increase of sprawl index on residential land cells across the inner suburb and outer suburb, and more than three-fifths of the residential growth during 2000–2010 were evaluated as dynamic sprawl. The rapid development of the land market and urbanization were noted to impact the spatiotemporal distribution of residential sprawl, as q-statistic values of population growth and land price ranked highest. Most notably, the increasing q-statistic values of urban planning and its significant interactions with other factors highlighted the effects of incremental planning policies. The study derived the policy implication that it is necessary to transform the traditional theory and methods of incremental planning.

Spatial Analysis of Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Mexico: Implications for Urban Planning to Improve Public Health

In cities, traffic is one of the major determinants for air quality. Studies have shown that proximity to roadways with heavy traffic has been linked with increased incidence and prevalence of a range of health effects such as adverse birth outcomes, dementia, asthma, and increased risk of bronchitis, wheezing, deficits in lung function growth and airway inflammation, especially among children. In Mexico, 103 urban areas have air quality monitoring, whilst more than 2,000 cities lack any information and only 29 have monitoring systems that are robust enough to estimate exposure. This poses serious limitations for environmental and health authorities when aiming at assessing current exposure levels to Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) with the purpose of designing and implementing policies to reduce the impacts of poor air quality in the population. This study proposes an approach to estimate the population potentially exposed to TRAP using Space Syntax’s accessibility index as the urban form variable. We selected the ten most accessible roads of the five Mexican cities to estimate the proportion of vulnerable population (residents, employees, schoolchildren, hospital patients) with the highest potential exposure to TRAP at a distance of 500 m. Our findings show a similar proportion of the population continually exposed to TRAP due to the proximity to roads with heavy traffic than studies using more complex models. Finally, this study presents alternatives to reduce current population exposure to traffic emissions in Mexican cities.

Development of Estimating Methodology for Transit Accessibility Using Smart Card Data

Transit accessibility is an explanatory variable evaluating the mobility of a region in consideration of the connectivity and demand among the regions, which has been used for an important index to determine transport policy on the transit network. This study aims to develop an accessibility index considering the two factors with a demand-weighted approach, that is, impedance and attraction level. Two variables, travel time and the ratio of trips, are employed to calculate the accessibility index, and comparative assessments between zones are conducted. The application of smart card data makes it possible to analyze travel information and reflect them empirically in the model. This study identifies zones with vulnerable accessibility and suggests criteria for transit investment plans with two aspects, that is, intensive transit area and spatial distribution of the accessibility index. These aspects contribute to transit planners by suggesting transit investment criteria and comprehensible statistics to evaluate accessibility. Since zones with low accessibility indexes are identified as being vulnerable to access from other zones, policymakers should focus on those zones to improve the overall transit network.

Visualising rural access index and not served rural population in Africa

The rural access index is beneficial to monitor accessibility in rural areas. However, the rural access index cannot indicate how many rural people have not been served (called not served rural population or NSRP), and it has only been mapped at a national and/or regional scale. This study visualises both the rural access index and not served rural population in Africa, and also visualises the not served rural population at a fine scale (i.e. 10 km × 10 km grid). The results show that: First, the spatial pattern of the not served rural population is quite different with that of the rural access index, and thus we suggest to use the not served rural population indicator as a supplement of the rural access index. Second, the not served rural population varies within a country, and the fine-scale mapping can be helpful for policy makers and planners to decide where there is a priority need to improve rural road accessibility.