Distribution and patronage of health facilities in Lafia, Nasarawa state, Nigeria

Sumaiyat Kpanja Abdullahi 1, *, Adewale Mukhtar Olayiwola 2, Nnaemeka Michael Ihenacho 1, Halimat Ifedolapo Oriola 1, Epsar Philip Kopteer 1, Philip Okoh Amodu 1, Amina Abubakar Nasir 1, Salau Wakeel Olorunwa 2, Kamila Abba Tukur 1, Nkechinyere Gift Nwagwu 1, Chikodili Evans Ezurike 1, Kikelomo Oluwabukola Adebo 1, Godwin Ogbonnia Urom 1, Muhammad Hassan Kudu 1, Augustine Abah Odeh 1, Elizabeth Jackson Rizga 1, Udya Aniya 1, Binta Ahmad 1, Dolly Nkere Emmanuel 1 and Chinenye Ann Nweke 1

1 National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria.
2 African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education- English (Arcsste-E), Ile- Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
 
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 21(03), 289–300
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.3.0622
 
Publication history: 
Received on 14 January 2024; revised on 27 February 2024; accepted on 01 March 2024
 
Abstract: 
Health facilities are places that provide health care. They include hospitals, clinics, outpatient care centers, and specialized care centers, such as birthing centers and psychiatric care centers. The study aimed at assessing and classifying the distribution and patronage of health facilities in Lafia, Nasarawa state with the objectives to classify the distribution of the primary health centers in Lafia, Nasarawa State; examine the spatial distribution of primary health centers in the study area; and assess the patronage pattern of primary health centers in the study area. The study utilizes the use of primary and secondary data to include questionnaires, interviews, and direct observation analyses using ArcGIS 10.4, Microsoft Excel, and SPSS software. The study area's primary health facilities were found to be clustered, with an Rn of NNR less than 1.0 and a less than 1% likelihood of random chance at (P< 0.01). Regression analysis showed negative coefficient values, meaning that the study area's primary health facility patronage falls as inhabitants' distance from health facilities increases (P< 0.05). The socio-economic data reveals that 56.1% of the sampled population, predominantly aged 21-40, consists of respondents. The survey revealed that only 6.3% of the population had formal education, and 72.5% of public health facilities (PHFs) were government-owned, while 22.4% were privately owned. Therefore, the prevailing trend of location analysis calls for proper planning, and GIS tools are needed for research on health facility distribution and patronage in Lafia Nasarawa state, identifying coverage gaps, and recommending intervention and planning strategies to improve health.
 
Keywords: 
Health facilities; Ministry of health; NPHCDA; Distribution; Clustered pattern; Patronage and Distance
 
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Copyright information: 
Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0

 

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