Spatial Analysis of the Barriers to Access and Utilisation of Healthcare Services in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.

Abstract

A great proportion of persons in developing nations including Nigeria, lack access to healthcare due to numerous barriers. This study investigates the barriers to access and use of healthcare services in Udu Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, Nigeria. The research involved a cross sectional study, that used a survey design and stratified sampling to demarcate the study area into clans with systematic sampling technique used to select respondents. Results indicated that: cost of treatment (91.1%), lack of drugs in healthcare centers (90.4%), long waiting time (85.4%), overcrowding of facilities (80.7 %.) were the first, second, third and fourth barriers to access and utilisation of healthcare services in the study location. The effect of the observed barriers, according to evidence from the study is that community health seekers: reduce their visitations and utilisation of healthcare services (95.1%), experience higher burden of diseases due to low utilisation of services (93%), patronize traditional healers which are highly unreliable (85.4%), delay healthcare utilisation (79.7%), have general difficulties in accessing healthcare services (78.9%), use substandard medium for diseases cures (77.9%), diseases preventions become very difficult (59.4%), abandone healthcare facilities utilisation (52.1%) and recorded deaths (21.6%). The results also showed relationship between location and some barriers to access and utilisation of healthcare. The study concludes that healthcare barriers are still noticeable in Udu LGA and recommends that the governments in Udu LGA, Delta State and Nigeria to look at the identified barriers to work out mitigating strategies in their annual strategic documents or planning.