The Use of GIS and Remote Sensing in mapping malaria prevalence

Abstract

Distance is important in access to health care, in turn a key measure of attainment of Millennium Development Goals. The aim of this thesis was to develop spatial models of access and utilisation of government health services in Kenya. Adjustment of models for competition improves their predictive accuracies. The Euclidean model commonly used to measure access estimates 19% (6 million) more people nationwide than the best-fit model to have access to government health. This has major implications for measurement of health development goals. To redress the situation, more research needs to be done in defining spatial access better by including all the key spatial and aspatial parameters. Ultimately, the use of the best access model at the national level requires the development of more and higher-resolution spatial and empirical data.