Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40493234›Full record

ArticleGlobal health action2025

Spatio-temporal patterns of health service delivery and access to maternal, child, and outpatient healthcare in Volta region, Ghana: a repeated cross-sectional ecological study using health facility data.

Winfred Dotse-Gborgbortsi, Kristine Nilsen, Ortis Yankey, Anthony Ofosu, Thomas Ankomah, Eric Tweneboah, Ignatius Aklikpe, Chrysantus Kubio, Alberta Biritwum-Nyarko, Andrew Tatem and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

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

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Winfred Dotse-GborgbortsiWorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7627-1809
Kristine NilsenWorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2009-4019
Ortis YankeyWorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0808-884X
Anthony OfosuDepartment of Community Health, School of Medicine, UHAS, Ho, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0003-0226-3069
Thomas AnkomahPPME, Ghana Health Service, Headquarters, Accra, Ghana.ORCID 0009-0008-7809-9772
Eric TweneboahSchool of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9921-1574
Ignatius AklikpeGhana Health Service, Volta Regional Health Directorate, Ho, Ghana.ORCID 0009-0000-5427-8014
Chrysantus KubioGhana Health Service, Volta Regional Health Directorate, Ho, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0003-2658-6786
Alberta Biritwum-NyarkoPPME, Ghana Health Service, Headquarters, Accra, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0001-7372-9271
Andrew TatemWorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7270-941X
Jim WrightSchool of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8842-2181

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo attain universal health care, health managers need to monitor progress in service uptake, changes and geographic coverage. Although routine health management information systems are now well established in many resource-constrained countries, such data have not yet been used to examine geographic access trends over time.

objectiveThis study aims to quantify changing patterns of geographic access to healthcare in the Volta Region, Ghana.

methodsThe repeated cross-sectional ecological spatio-temporal analysis used routine health management information systems data from 2016 to 2022, and geospatial data to examine changes in healthcare accessibility and services provided for population subgroups. Changes in healthcare provision, travel time to services and population coverage were estimated.

resultsMost health facilities (60.6%) provided the same range of services or added new services between 2016 and 2022. Childhood immunisation services had the highest geographic coverage within 30 min of the nearest health facility from 2016 to 2022 (minimum 97.2%), while Caesarean births had the lowest (maximum 75.2%). More health facilities provide antenatal services (2022: 59.9%) than birthing care (2022: 52.6%). Of all new health facilities, 93.2% were Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) facilities. The majority of the population lived within 30 min of services in 2016 and 2022 for all the services studied.

conclusionThe study provides a new approach to monitoring service changes through routine health data and spatial analysis. The analysis provided evidence to improve geographic accessibility, address gaps in service changes and consolidate the gains of high geographic coverage with quality care.

Indexed as

Ambulatory CareChild Health ServicesDelivery of Health CareHealth FacilitiesHealth Services AccessibilityMaternal-Child Health ServicesMaternal Health ServicesChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGhanaHumansPregnancySpatio-Temporal Analysisgeographic accessGeographic information systemshealthcare access and utilisationhealth management information systemsmaternal and child healthStig Wall

Identifiers

PMID40493234
PMCPMC12152985

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.