Background and aim: Access to adequate healthcare systems is seen as a fundamental human right. Therefore, healthcare services must be distributed and accessible in the most efficient way possible to those who need them the most. Primary healthcare centers are the backbone of any healthcare system as they provide essential healthcare services to the general population. Inequalities in the distribution of primary healthcare centers can lead to disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. This study aimed to assess the equity of primary healthcare centers distribution, we analyzed and evaluated the allocation of primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia from 2017 to 2021.
Method: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the Health Statistical Yearbook published by the Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia, during the period of 2017-2021. The number of primary healthcare centers per 10,000 population was calculated for the 20 health regions. We used the Gini index to measure inequality in the distribution of primary healthcare centers. The Pearson coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between the number of primary healthcare centers and the population in each health region.
Result: The overall ratio of primary healthcare centers to population decreased from 0.72 to 0.62 between 2017 and 2021. The Gini index showed relative equality in the distribution of primary healthcare centers from 2017 to 2021 with values between 0.2 and 0.3. There was a positive correlation between the population and the primary healthcare centers in Jeddah, Tabouk, and the Northern Region. However, in Riyadh, Makkah, Taif, Madinah, Qaseem, Eastern Region, Al-Ahsa, Aseer, Hail, Jazan, Najran, Al-Baha, and Al-Jouf, the correlation was found to be negative.
Conclusion: From 2017 to 2021, primary healthcare facilities are distributed fairly throughout 20 health regions of Saudi Arabia. However, there are still some disparities between provinces, and efforts must be made to ensure that primary healthcare centers are distributed equitably across the country to improve healthcare access and outcomes for all.
Keywords: distribution; gini index; inequalities; primary healthcare center; saudi arabia.
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