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Mapping Access to Essential Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Malawi

Sainan Zhang, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Mohamed Abd salam EL Vilaly, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA
Witness Chirinda, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Rachel Snow, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Universal health coverage, including sexual and reproductive health coverage, is a key health target for sustainable development. This requires equal access to healthcare services to improve health equity and quality of life. As geographic accessibility is one of the barriers to people’s access to health care, this research investigated the spatial distribution of healthcare facilities and the people within and outside their catchment areas in Malawi. Areas with sufficient and poor geographic accessibility were identified by mapping the healthcare facilities and their associated catchment areas at a high-resolution level. Catchment areas of essential SRH services were mapped by integrating Malawi’s health facility data, open street maps, and other geospatial data. Travel distance is measured by the shortest distance from a location to the nearest health facility along the road networks. These catchment areas were further linked with Malawi’s 2018 census data to explore demographic characteristics and geospatial inequality at traditional authority levels. Results show significant differences in geographic access to services across the country. It provides a reference for determining where health facilities that provide SRH services and interventions are needed, and the potential impact of these interventions to improve national accessibility.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Census data

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session 203. Geographic Variations in Education and Health