Geospatial accessibility analysis of primary health care clinics in the Mbizana local municipality in the Eastern Cape

Abstract

A key challenge in rural South Africa is providing social facilities such as clinics. This is difficult due to the nature of settlement distributions, especially in traditional authority areas. Geospatial accessibility analysis can help find suitable locations for facilities to serve the inhabitants. Settlements in South Africa’s traditional authority areas often do not meet the minimum thresholds required for specific social facilities, therefore determining the best location can be daunting. This study applied a geospatial accessibility approach to primary health care clinics in the Mbizana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province. The results of this accessibility analysis identified suitable locations to build the eight clinics that were proposed in the municipality's Integrated Development Plan for 2015-2016. We calculated facility catchments using approximate road-based travel distances to the nearest facility within the municipality. Two types of catchment area analysis were performed: one included distance and capacity constraints and the other excluded them. The unconstrained analysis showed that only 36% of the population is situated within the service reach of 5km. This decreased to 33% when distance and capacity constraints were considered. The remaining demand of 67% is significant, indicating high unsatisfied demand for additional clinics. Although the proposed eight clinics increased the overall accessibility to primary health care clinics, a large proportion of the population remains unserved, suggesting that more than eight clinics would be needed. The results of this analysis therefore also aim to support health care facility planning and distribution within the Mbizana Local Municipality.