Modeling Spatial Inequalities in Health in Cities of Developing Countries: The Case of Accra, Ghana

John R. Weeks, San Diego State University
Allan G. Hill, Harvard University
Arthur Getis, San Diego State University
Mark R. Montgomery, Population Council
Livia Montana, Harvard University
Kenneth Hill, Harvard University

Sustainable development requires a healthy population because only this can generate the levels of economic productivity necessary to lift an economy out of widespread poverty. We posit that variability in health within urban places, where most jobs are being created, is importantly a function of the composite characteristics of place, not just of the people themselves. In this research, we model the spatial inequality in health outcomes in Accra, Ghana, by applying data from the Women’s Health Survey of Accra to proxy variables derived from the Census and from remotely sensed imagery, for which we have full spatial coverage. These estimates will allow total health inequality across Accra to be decomposed into its within-neighborhood and between-neighborhood components, and will allow for identification of those neighborhoods that exhibit high levels of health vulnerability.