Global Journal of HUMAN SOCIAL SCIENCE Geography & Environmental GeoSciences Volume 12 Issue 10 Version 1.0 Year 2012 Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA) Online ISSN: 2249-460x & Print ISSN: 0975-587X Health Care Facilities Mapping and Database Creation Using GIS in Chikun Local Government, Kaduna State, Nigeria By Abbas, Idowu Innocent , Auta, Sarah Zaka & Na’iya, Rakiya Muhammad Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria Abstract - The study investigated the spatial distribution of health care centres in Chikun local government area of Kaduna state, Nigeria with a view to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technique in health care management planning. The study used the administrative map of the study area collected from the local government as the base map. Information on the number and addresses of the health care centres in the study area were collected from the local government while the coordinates of the health care centres were obtained in the field using Global Positioning System (GPS). These data were incorporated into GIS environment and analysed using Arc Map 9.2 software. The study reveals that there were 41 health care centres in the study area with 23 (56.1%) been private health care centres and 18 (43.9%) been public health care centres. The study also reveals the pattern of distribution of the heath care centres within the study area. The study also used World Health Organisation criteria for the location of health care centres in developing countries to propose 9 new sites for the location of new health care centres to adequately cover the health needs of the people of the study area. Keywords : Health care, Centres, GIS, Mapping, Database. GJHSS-B Classification : FOR Code: 111708, 111709 Health Care Facilities Mapping and Database Creation Using GIS in Chikun Local Government, Kaduna State, Nigeria Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of: © 2012. Abbas, Idowu Innocent , Auta, Sarah Zaka & Na’iya, Rakiya Muhammad. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Health Care Facilities Mapping and Database Creation Using GIS in Chikun Local Government, Kaduna State, Nigeria Abbas, Idowu Innocent α , Auta, Sarah Zaka σ & Na’iya, Rakiya Muhammad ρ 12 Abstract - The study investigated the spatial distribution of 0 ing and evaluating health systems. GIS can be defined 2 health care centres in Chikun local government area of as the science and technology related to the gathering, r Kaduna state, Nigeria with a view to use Geographic storage, manipulation, analysis and visualization of geo- ea Y Information Systems (GIS) technique in health care referenced data (Burrough, 2001). management planning. The study used the administrative map GIS has been be used by several scholars to 11 of the study area collected from the local government as the base map. Information on the number and addresses of the combine different data and generate information health care centres in the study area were collected from the required for decision making in health management. In local government while the coordinates of the health care 1854; John Snow demonstrated the utility of mapping centres were obtained in the field using Global Positioning disease outbreaks to gain insights as to their cause. System (GPS). These data were incorporated into GIS Snow, an anaesthesiologist, mapped the highest density environment and analysed using Arc Map 9.2 software. of cases that occurred in households, which used the The study reveals that there were 41 health care centres in the public pump on Broad Street as their water source (Law study area with 23 (56.1%) been private health care centres et al., 1998). Benachi and Yasui (1999) identified that and 18 been public health care centres. The study (43.9%) there was a positive correlation between deprivation of also reveals the pattern of distribution of the heath care centres within the study area. The study also used World health centres and mortality rate. In their analysis of Health Organisation criteria for the location of health care 2,200 small areas of Spain, they obtained two indices of centres in developing countries to propose 9 new sites for the deprivation and they concluded that, there was excess location of new health care centres to adequately cover the mortality in deprived areas estimated at 35,000 deaths. Volume XII Issue X Version I health needs of the people of the study area. Thus, they called for government intervention in the ) D D b D D Keywords : Health care, Centres, GIS, Mapping, deprived small areas of the country. They also found ( Database. that there are inequalities in other aspects related to ce n health care, such as, waiting list times, or the access to e I . Introduction preventive health services. Olajuyin et al., (1997) ci he provision of health care centres in Nigeria is a investigated the effect of location on the utilization of al S ci concurrent responsibility of the three tiers of healthcare centres in Irewole local government area of o S T government in the country. However, because Osun State, Nigeria. Data used in this research included Nigeria operates a mixed economy, private providers of population data, list of health centres and their locations, medical health care have a visible role to play in health and distance of the settlements to each health centre. uman care delivery. The federal government's role is mostly They found that health centres were unevenly distributed f H limited to coordinating the affairs of the among the settlements and that the distance was a al o universityteaching hospitals, federal medical centres paramount factor. n r Okafor et al., (1977) analyzed the spatial u (tertiary health care) while the state government o manages the various general hospitals (secondary distribution and efficiency of health centres in the old al J health care) and the local government focuses on Bendel (now Edo and Delta) State. He created a data b dispensaries (primary health care) which are regulated base of all the health centres in Benin and found that lo G by the federal government. The total expenditure on there were discrepancies between the population health care is 4.6% of GDP, while the percentage of distribution and the distribution of health federal government expenditure on health care is about centres.Adejuyigbe (1973) used GIS technique to 1.5%(Wikipedia, 2009). demonstrate the relationship between distance and GIS (Geographic Information System) is a patronage of health centres in Ife. He noted that valuable tool to assist health research planning, monitor- attendance at each health centre in Ife region is a function of both type of service available there and the distance from other centre providing similar services. Author α σ : Department of Geography, Ahmad u Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. E-mail : [email protected] Dzikwi and Abbas (2012) also used GIS to map the spatial distribution of rabies in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Author ρ : Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, Nigeria. They used GIS to analyze record data obtained from the © 2012 Global Journals Inc. (US) Health Care Facilities Mapping and Database Creation Using GIS in Chikun Local Government, Kaduna State, Nigeria state ministry of agriculture and the archived map of the three hundred and sixty eight thousand, two hundred state to track the spread and management of the and fifty (368,250) in 2006 to an estimated four hundred disease in the state. and twenty six thousand, nine hundred and two The World Health Organization (2004), (426,902) in 2011 (FRN, 2007). describes GIS as “an excellent means of analyzing epidemiological data, revealing trends, dependencies II. Materials and Method and interrelationships that would be more difficult to The study used data containing the list of health discover using traditional tabular approach”. care centres and their addresses in Chikun LGA. Site selection and distribution of health care Administrative map of Chikun LGA was also sourced centres are important components of an overall health from the local government to serve as the base map. 12 0 system which has a direct impact on the burden of 2 GPS was used to collect coordinate points of the health diseases that affect many countries in the developing centres in the local government. r world. The creation of health care centres database and ea Y mapping helps in showing the spatial distribution and a) Procedure of data analysis information about location and their physical relations to The administrative map of Chikun LGA was 122 each other. The purpose of using GIS in site selection scanned and geo-referenced using Arc MAP 9.2. On- and distribution of health care centres is that maps screen digitization was done with features such as provides an added dimension to data analysis, which roads, river, and rail-track in the study area digitized as helps in visualizing the complex patterns and line features. Districts and health care centers were relationships. The use of GIS for measurement of digitized as polygon features. These spatial data were physical distribution is well established and has been organized in layers. applied in many areas including retail site analysis, transport, emergency services and health care services b) Data base Creation The following data were collected and used in (Wilkinson et al., 1998). WHO (1997) specified criteria for health care the development of the database. planning for third world countries and indicated that i. The study area map each service area should cover a 4km catchment area ii. List showing health centre names and addresses as with a population of 60,000.00 for primary health care in shown in table 1.1 Volume XII Issue X Version I order to have adequate and equity of access to health iii.