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Exploiting available data sources: location/allocation modeling for health service planning in rural Ghana |
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| Authors: | Lasse Møller-Jensen Richard Y Kofie |
| Institution: | 1. Institute of Geography, University of Copenhagen , ?ster Voldgade 10, 1350 , Copenhagen K , Denmark E-mail: lmj@geogr.ku.dk;2. Department of Geography and Resources development , University og Ghana, Legon , P.O. Box 59, Legon , Ghana E-mail: rkofi@yahoo.com |
| Abstract: | The preconditions for applying GIS-based location-allocation analysis for health service planning in rural Ghana are examined in terms of data availability and quality. A population map is established from the latest available census using geo-coding methods and digital topographic sheets. A vector-based transport model of the region is established by merging data from several sources including GPS. It is suggested that a hybrid transport model is required. This model combines the possibilities for all-direction transportation inherent in the raster-based approach with the possibilities for road/path transportation inherent in the vector-based approach. All-direction movements are expected to take place close to the villages in order to reach a suitable linear transport corridor represented by a vector. Several scenarios for improving the accessibility aspects of the health service provision are examined in light of Ghana's current health service policy. Location-allocation modelling tools are used to select optimal locations and provide statistics on average distance to health centres and percentage of population covered. |
| Keywords: | Location-allocation health care accessibility transport model |