Estimated Travel Time & Staffing Constraints to Accessing the Ethiopian Healthcare System: Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Analysis
2023
This study investigates disparities in health care access across different income levels and geographic locations in Ethiopia. Employing a two-step floating catchment area method, the research estimates variations in spatial access to health care and staffing levels at facilities. Average travel time from population centers is calculated and adjusted with provider-to-population ratios. Spearman's rank tests are applied to test hypotheses about the roles of travel time versus staffing in access variations. Results reveal regional disparities, with Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Harari exhibiting better access scores, while poorer and more rural regions have lower scores. Approximately 18% of the country lacks access to a public health care facility within a two-hour walk. The study suggests that both spatial access and staffing issues contribute to access challenges. It concludes that investments in new health facilities and staffing are essential to improve health care access in Ethiopia, emphasizing the importance of equity and improved access in poverty reduction efforts, particularly in rural and low-income areas.
Source:
Hendrix N, Warkaye S, Tesfaye L, Agachew M, Arja A, Sato R, Getnet F, Verguet S. Estimated Travel Time and Staffing Constraints to Accessing the Ethiopian Healthcare System: A Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Analysis. Journal of Global Health 2023; 13: 04008. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.13.04008