The Use of the Geographical Information System (GIS) to Determine Potential Access and Allocation of Public Mental Health Resources in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to map public mental health facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. Gaps in policy and planning around mental health are identified and these are traced historically up to the current period. Given that under the previous political dispensation various departments of health were responsible for health and mental health services, where limited - if any - joint planning occurred, there is a need to locate all facilities so that planning can be done in a more rational manner. In order to accomplish this it was decided to use the Atlas-GIS to map the exact location of public mental health facilities and to determine potential access to these facilities by defining catchment areas that are relatively over-resourced and those that are relatively underresourced. The method provides a useful and important guide to the planning of mental health services not only in KwaZulu-Natal but in South Africa in general. Limitations of the study include the lack of good baseline data related to the population demographics and dynamics and the difficulty in verifying information when there are multiple sources of information for different population groups.