Improving access to health facilities in Nouna district, Burkina Faso

The Nouna health district in Burkina Faso, has a population of approximately 275,000 people living in 281 villages, and is served by 25 health facilities, as of 2006. For many people, the time and effort required in traveling to a health facility, which may demand a journey of many kilometers over poor roads on foot, is a deterrent to seeking proper medical care. In this study we examine how access to health facilities in Nouna may be improved by considering the configuration of the road network in addition to the locations of the facilities. We model the situation as a facility location–network design problem and draw conclusions about how best to improve the physical access of the health facilities. Our model shows the extent to which access can be improved when the road network is considered along with facility locations, in contrast to facility locations considered alone.

► In Burkina Faso, poor physical access to health facilities hinders effectiveness.
► Modeling as facility location–network design gives insight on how to improve access.
► Considering roads along with locations provides greater opportunity for improvement.