Research

Differences between gridded population data impact measures of geographic access to healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa

Access to healthcare is imperative to health equity and well-being. Geographic access to healthcare can be modeled using spatial datasets on local context, together with the distribution of existing health facilities and populations. Several population datasets are currently available, but their impact on accessibility analyses is unknown. In this study, we model the geographic accessibility of public health facilities at 100-meter resolution in sub-Saharan Africa and evaluate six of the most popular gridded population datasets for their impact on coverage statistics at different administrative levels.

Authors Fleur Hierink, Gianluca Boo, Peter M. Macharia, Paul O. Ouma, Pablo Timoner, Marc Levy, Kevin Tschirhart, Stefan Leyk, Nicholas Oliphant, Andrew J. Tatem & Nicolas Ray
Source Communications Medicine
Published 2022
Full publication

More publications

GRID3 Impact Report 2023-2024

Explore how GRID3’s core spatial data – including population estimates, settlements, health facilities, and administrative boundaries – are making a difference in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This report details our achievements between 2023 and 2024, highlighting our […]

Piloting the GMT in Nigeria: Insights from Kano and Kaduna

The Geospatial Microplanning Toolkit (GMT) is a mobile application that allows health staff to record, edit, and visualize key spatial data and features via an interactive user interface. The GMT was developed to address three issues affecting health planning and […]

Microplanning: A promising approach to identify and reach zero-dose children in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

This case study examines microplanning approaches as a key component in the Mashako Plan 2.0 to revitalize routine immunization strategies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).