The Impact of Spatial Disparities on Access to Healthcare in the North-Central Region of Algeria, using Geographic Information System (GIS)

Abstract

The present work analyzes the spatial distribution of healthcare infrastructure and its correlation with the location and geographical characteristics in terms of access to healthcare in the north central region of Algeria. This region represents the most important spatial area in the country because it is the most favored region in terms of infrastructural attractiveness. However, significant inequalities in access to healthcare remain evident within the region, largely favoring Algiers and its metropolitan area. As the political and economic capital and the country’s main hospital hub, Algiers benefits from extensive healthcare coverage, making it the primary concentration zone for health facilities nationwide. To analyze these differences in healthcare access, several methodological approaches were employed, including nearest neighbor analysis, together with the calculation of the centroids of healthcare facilities and standard distances to identify the ellipse of dispersion. Spatial analysis and geomatics methods such as buffer zones and location-allocation models were applied using (ArcGIS10.8). The results indicated a significant correlation between the quality of healthcare infrastructure distribution and geographical characteristics. Nevertheless, this relationship is not consistent across the different Wilayas. Despite similar geographical conditions, the eastern regions benefit from a higher level of service compared to the other regions. This situation requires serious state intervention to achieve social and spatial justice and the principles of sustainable development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 3.