Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39947717›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2025

Spatial profiling of geographical accessibility to maternal healthcare and coverage of maternal health service utilisation in Nepal: a geospatial analysis based on demographic and health survey.

Heng-Qian Huang-Fu, Li Wang, Biraj Karmacharya, Uttam Kumar Koirala, Chang-Wen Ke, Dan Liang, Chun Hao, Ying-Si Lai

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Article in BMJ global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Heng-Qian Huang-FuDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Li WangDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Biraj KarmacharyaDepartments of Public Health and Community Programs, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel, Nepal.
Uttam Kumar KoiralaEpidemiology and Disease Control Division, Department of Health Services, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Chang-Wen KeGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Emergency Detection and Research on Pathogen of Emerging Infectious Disease, Guangdong Workstation for Emerging Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China.
Dan LiangDepartment of Immunology and Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
Chun HaoDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9881-6504
Ying-Si LaiDepartment of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China laiys3@mail.sysu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4324-5465

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInformation on geographical accessibility to maternal healthcare (MHC) and coverage of maternal health service utilisation at high spatial resolution in Nepal are important for evidence-based health planning.

methodsBased on the Nepal Health Facility Registry dataset in 2022, we measured the geographical accessibility to MHC facilities across Nepal. Using data from 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey and other sources, we assessed the relationships between geographical accessibility and the utilisation of the three major healthcare services (ie, four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits, institutional delivery and postnatal care (PNC) check-up), by applying Bayesian geostatistical models. High-resolution maps on coverage of the above services were produced.

resultsThe geographical accessibility showed high in the central and southern Terai belt but low in the northern mountains, with average travel-mode adjusted travel time for ANC, institutional delivery and PNC 26.74, 40.72 and 29.09 min, respectively. Negative correlations were found between geographical accessibility with four or more ANC visits (OR 0.76, 95% Bayesian credible interval, BCI 0.65 to 0.90), institutional delivery (OR 0.76, 95% BCI 0.64 to 0.90) and PNC check-up (OR 0.87, 95% BCI 0.76 to 0.99), respectively. Population-weighted coverages for four or more ANC visits, institutional delivery and PNC check-up were estimated 83.25% (95% BCI 80.43% to 85.35%), 84.26% (95% BCI 81.30% to 86.08%) and 73.19% (95% BCI 69.43% to 76.09%), respectively, across Nepal. The northern mountains and southeastern Terai showed low coverage for the three healthcare services, while the central, eastern and western hilly regions exhibited good coverage.

conclusionGeographical accessibility is important in utilisation of maternal health services in Nepal. The high-resolution maps enable an evidence-based assessment for better health planning.

Indexed as

Health Services AccessibilityMaternal Health ServicesPatient Acceptance of Health CareAdolescentAdultBayes TheoremDelivery, ObstetricFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMiddle AgedNepalPregnancyPrenatal CareSpatial AnalysisYoung AdultGeographic information systemsHealth Services AccessibilityMaternal healthNepal

Identifiers

PMID39947717
PMCPMC11831282

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