Spatial Analysis of Healthcare Facilities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Nigeria

Over the second half of the twentieth century, the world has experienced enormous health improvements from the use of various technologies in the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and reporting various disease. However, developing countries have benefited unequally from health gains, with many, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), continuing to experience high mortality. This study aims to carry out a spatial analysis of healthcare facilities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nigeria with a view of identifying the pattern of distribution of healthcare facilities. This aim was achieved by identifying and mapping the various health facilities in the FCT. The directory of Hospitals was collected from the Hospital Management Board of the FCT and the geographic location were collected using a handheld GPS device. The administrative map of Abuja and the Area Councils were digitized to obtain shapefiles for various classes of roads, railway lines, waterways and boundaries of the area councils. A geospatial database was created in the ArcMap 10.7 environment using the data collected. The locations of all healthcare facilities were plotted, and the spatial spread of healthcare facilities were analyses and queried. The healthcare facilities distribution shows a clustered pattern but underserving the study area with an average nearest neighbor ratio (NNR) for healthcare facilities in the study of 0.34 (p < 0.001) and the Z-score was −40.9 (p < 0.001), the low Z-score value indicate there is a less than 1% likelihood that this clustered pattern could be the result of deliberate planning. The healthcare facilities distribution pattern suggests a disorderly and inefficient distribution of healthcare facilities. Owing to the significance of the underserving of the urban area councils by healthcare facilities, policymakers may consider placing additional healthcare facilities to reduce the stress on the available healthcare facilities and personnel. Keywords: Spatial Analysis, GIS, Healthcare, Facilities DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-1-06 Publication date: January 31st 2021

Reviewing the Use of Geographic Information System (GIS) to Measure Sustainable Urban Transport Performance

The purpose of this paper is to show how Geographical Information Systems (GIS) used to measure the performance of Urban Transport Sustainability. The first, this paper discusses about understanding about transport performance and how to measure it. The second, explore about sustainability in urban transport. The third, defines GIS and its possible uses in the sustainable urban transport performance. The relevant GIS functions have also been explained. The GIS models are explored to assist urban transport planner to measure sustainability in urban transport

Spatial and Multidimensional Visualization of Jeddah Health Resources: A Community Health Assessment of Jeddah City

Jeddah public health resources are struggling to meet the demand of the large populations. The city is suffering from insufficient public health resources along with other health problem, like high rates of some disease, which resulted in an amount of dissatisfaction among some of the health facilities visitors. The absence of a comprehensive Community Health Assessment study of Jeddah public health resources and the fact that health resources are not meeting the needs of the large population created the need to conduct this study. This is an exploratory study that will use the guidance of two frameworks, Mandala of Health and “Access as fit” theories, and take into account all public hospitals and primary clinics provided by the ministry of health (MOH). Availability and accessibility of MOH resources will be assessed according to the Saudi planning standards for the years 2006 – 2010. Furthermore, health professionals’ numbers will be assessed against the demand of some prominent disease cases in each census tract for the years 2006 – 2010. A multidimensional exploration of the data is needed to answer the queries of this study. Thus, Spatial OLAP Visualization and Analysis Tool (SOVAT) is utilized. This tool has the capability of integrating multidimensional databases to maps. It also answers complex queries easily and rapidly and gives results in maps, spreadsheets, and graphs. The exploration resulted in determining that primary clinics are allocated in accordance with populations’ densities with few exceptions. In addition, parts of the city were found to be lacking some facilities or health professionals while few parts were found to be over-served with resources. Finally, it has been found that there is a need to increase the number of hospitals. Additional patterns of the resources have been uncovered due to the multidimensional capability of SOVAT. The tool proved to be efficient and established a much better comprehensive understanding of the health resources. Additionally, it helped interpreting the interaction between the dimensions of the “Access as fit” framework. Nevertheless, some technical skills were needed for a successful data preparation and integration. It could be implemented by MOH as few requirements must be met

Improve Of Health Care Systems in Subareas of Saudi Arabia by GIS

This paper shows how Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be used to support health planners and demands on a micro-scale and explores the possibilities of using GIS for health care services in hospitals at Saudi Arabia subareas. GIS has several useful functions and tools that can be used in health planning field. The first part of this paper explains the issues that affect a local health care planning and monitoring of catchment area and facilities management. Each one of these issues is covered using several GIS functions including network analysis and spatial data analysis. The second part defines GIS and its possible application in the health care field. In this section, the relevant GIS functions have also been explained. The third part of this paper discusses the created and implemented a GIS application models, which is made for a local health care centre in Makkahh region and Taif city in Saudi Arabia. All the produced models can be applied on any private or public hospital in Makkahh region  and Taif city. They can be used to build a spatial decision making support system for hospitals in Taif region and serves five local health services neighborhoods named as Turabah, Al-Khurma, Rania, Zulam and Al-Moya. In this paper; the former is used to produce drive-time hospital service area and the route is applied at the selected hospital to calculate the size of its served demand. Finally; in this work, three sets of GIS models have been produced. These are catchment area; patient profile and patient distribution; and patient flow models. The results of GIS provided by the combined different entities based on their common geographic occurrence makes it a very valuable tool in epidemiological research, disease surveillance and monitoring. Some recent applications of GIS include vector borne diseases, water borne diseases, environmental health and modeling exposure to electromagnetic fields. Also, our results suggest that GIS is highly relevant to meet the demands of outbreak investigation and response, where prompt location of cases, rapid communication of information, and quick mapping of the epidemic’s dynamics are vital. In this work the former is used to produce drive-time hospital service area and the route is applied at the selected hospital to calculate the size of its served demand. It is recommended that more studies should be done in this work; three sets of GIS models have been produced. These are catchment area patient profile and patient distribution and patient flow models. So, we think that such output of creating and implementing a GIS models are produced to help a local health planners in their health care decision making output. Keywords: GIS; Health planners; network analysis; hospital served demand; spatial data

Development Of Health Care Systems in Subareas of KSA Using GIS Concept

The present study was directed to show how Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be used to support health planning and demanding on a micro-scale and explore the possibilities of using GIS for health care services in hospitals in Saudi Arabia subareas. The first part of this work explained the issues that affect a local health care planning and monitoring of catchment area and facilities management. Each one of these issues was covered using several GIS functions including network analysis and spatial data analysis. The second part defined GIS and its possible application in the health care field. In this section, the relevant GIS functions have also been explained. In response, alternative sources were used, such as Google Earth, printed maps and information gathered on the ground by GPS. The third part discussed the creation and implementation of GIS application models, which was made for a local health care center in Makah AlMokaramah region and Taif city in Saudi Arabia. All the produced models can be applied in any private or public hospital in Makkahh region and Taif city. They can be used to build a spatial decision making support system for hospitals in Taif region and serves five local health services neighborhoods named as Tarabah, AlKhurma, Rania, Zulam and Al-Moya. The most important results of this research were the determination of geographic locations of healthcare institutions, identifying ways and distances to reach the nearest access roads to these institutions. As well as being able to extract administrative regions on a large number of population, hospitals, health centers, number of beds, number of doctors and number of nurses. One of the recommendations of this research the need of using GIS and GPS (Global Positional System) to determine the locations of health institutions on a number of sites

The negative impacts of subdivision regulation on the residential built environment : Jeddah's experience

PhD ThesisLand subdivision plans (LSPs) are the basis of development and transform untouched lands into modern residential areas. Subdivision regulation (SR) plays a key role in the process of organisation, design, planning and development of residential areas. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) relies on a single unified SR guideline formulated by the central government that applies one conventional development LSP approach for all Saudi cities. This approach does not take account of the provision of the final product or any particular part of it (e.g. housing units, public service plots, etc.), as well as after-sale services such as maintenance and management. Situated in the American and Saudi subdivision literature, this research first examines the quality of what this type of regulated development produces at a macro (city) scale relating to the structure of the urban form being built in Jeddah. It finds that at this scale, low-density car-reliant urban sprawl results – exactly the type of development that misses the sustainable liveability rhetoric the SR documents espouse, and which undermines Jeddah’s planning department’s attempts to meet the city’s 21st century challenges of rapid demographic and economic growth, and climate change. The research then investigates the quality of the public services and facilities provision at a micro (district) level by appraising the quality of two conventionally developed subdivision districts in Jeddah. It finds the quality of the public services and facilities is poor, especially for those residents not using a car. Building plots stand vacant/semi-built for long periods of time, and soft infrastructure provision (schools, parks, community facilities) are often slow to arrive – if they arrive at all. A face-to-face survey of resident heads of households in these two districts revealed that these shortcomings made life very difficult. The research also explored the regulations’ content and implementation process and, as part of this element of the investigation, interviewed local planners and conventional developers to gain a better understanding of how they perceived their role, the quality of these localities, and the shortcomings in the system that produced this type of development. The conventional developers were of the view they already provided too much, and if anything the regulations should be relaxed, not strengthened; the planners’ iv perception was that the regulations were about right, requiring essential services but not so restrictive as to prevent development. The residents’ survey from the original case studies also revealed preferences for a number of other localities in Jeddah where provision was better. The research investigated the development practice of these localities (‘non-conventional development’), by visiting the localities and interviewing the developers and found a smart growth/New Urbanism model of development, which could provide better quality public realm and up-front infrastructure provision, albeit at a cost and rather exclusively. This thesis concludes that it is important to improve the current conventional practices of LSP development to enable Jeddah to provide a more sustainable and more liveable urban form than is currently created, and presents a set of recommendations to achieve this. These include recommendations to amend the SR guidelines based on comprehensive studies conducted with modern techniques incorporating residents’ aspirations, developers’ suggestions, officials’ ideas, inputs from urban planners, and autonomy to local regulators (increased role and responsibility of Jeddah Municipality) cumulatively aimed at provision of better public facilities and services. There are still some possible venues to conduct future researches, such as encouraging planning and consulting offices to reveal their views of the current SR code and LSP development. Moreover, residents’ perceptions should be studied and included in unconventional subdivision plans to fulfil their satisfaction. Finally, it is useful to study and analyse the views of public services and facilities providers, particularly pertaining to their role within the LSP approval process

Improve Of Health Care Systems in Subareas of Saudi Arabia by GIS

This paper shows how Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be used to support health planners and demands on a micro-scale and explores the possibilities of using GIS for health care services in hospitals at Saudi Arabia subareas. GIS has several useful functions and tools that can be used in health planning field. The first part of this paper explains the issues that affect a local health care planning and monitoring of catchment area and facilities management. Each one of these issues is covered using several GIS functions including network analysis and spatial data analysis. The second part defines GIS and its possible application in the health care field. In this section, the relevant GIS functions have also been explained. The third part of this paper discusses the created and implemented a GIS application models, which is made for a local health care centre in Makkahh region and Taif city in Saudi Arabia. All the produced models can be applied on any private or public hospital in Makkahh region  and Taif city. They can be used to build a spatial decision making support system for hospitals in Taif region and serves five local health services neighborhoods named as Turabah, Al-Khurma, Rania, Zulam and Al-Moya. In this paper; the former is used to produce drive-time hospital service area and the route is applied at the selected hospital to calculate the size of its served demand. Finally; in this work, three sets of GIS models have been produced. These are catchment area; patient profile and patient distribution; and patient flows models. So, the output of creating and implementing a GIS models are produced to help a local health planners in their health care decision making output. Keywords: GIS; Health planners; network analysis; hospital served demand; spatial dat

Smart pedestrian network is an approach for promoting walkability: A case of Riyadh city

SPN is an important aspect of smart and sustainable mobility in cities that promote walkability (SPN) Walking is becoming an important component of transportation and urban policies to achieve more sustainable development. Riyadh's rapid urban expansion and population growth have increased pedestrian accidents and damaged people's daily walking conditions during the last four decades. As a result, implementing the Smart Pedestrian Network has the potential to significantly increase walkability and create more sustainable urban spaces. The research technique is deductive, with modern technology playing a significant part in introducing new ways to pedestrian path planning and design, ultimately improving this form of transportation in Riyadh. The current paper concluded with proposed guidelines for strategic implementation using the Smart Pedestrian Network system and a conceptual framework for smart pedestrian networks, both of which could add value to exploring the pedestrian network in more advanced ways in Riyadh. The application of a smart network for pedestrians resulted in increased walkability and satisfaction with walking in Riyadh city, according to the findings

An Analysis of Public Boys’ High School Location Using GIS: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Case Study

The research study area is the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Jeddah high schools are separated by gender due to cultural background. In 2018, a research was conducted related to public girls’ high schools (Belarem et al., 2018) and the research neglected boys’ public high schools which is considered a gap in the study. In addition, the emphasis of this research is on the male population because it is more than the female population in the city which will require more schools for boys in the future. Moreover, and from an urban planner point of view, public schools are part of the city infrastructure and the quality of physical, social, and academic of schools is part of the quality of the city. This research is to study Public Boys’ High school physical location distribution and population accessibility to these schools using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis tools such as euclidian and network analysis. Furthermore, city historical Landsat imagery in the last 30 years to be used to study the city urban sprawl(population) to estimate future urban sprawl (population) direction in the city. Such analysis will enable urban planners and educators to come together to determine future school siting for better quality

GIS in Healthcare

The landscape of healthcare is dynamic, gradually becoming more complicated with factors beyond simple supply and demand. Similar to the diversity of social, political and economic contexts, the practical utilization of healthcare resources also varies around the world. However, the spatial components of these contexts, along with aspects of supply and demand, can reveal a common theme among these factors. This book presents advancements in GIS applications that reveal the complexity of and solutions for a dynamic healthcare landscape