Assessing the inequality of health distribution among the provinces of Iran during the Fifth Development Plan (2011-2015)

Health, both physically and mentally, raises the level of human capital. This study aims to challenge the performance of the Fifth Development Plan (2011-2015) regarding inequality in the distribution of health facilities among the provinces of the country. 

This study is analytical cross sectional. In this research, using the TOPSIS method and using the Gini coefficient index and inequality ratios, was evaluated the distribution of health facilities among the provinces of the country. Also, to determine the degree of health development among the provinces of the country, from 13 indices including hospital per capita, hospital bed per capita, health house per capita, health center per capita, laboratory per capita, pharmacy per capita, general practitioner per capita, specialist physician per capita and other health care staff per capita were used. The software used in this research is SPSS 25.

The results show that in 2011, the provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi and Isfahan were at the highest level and the provinces of South Khorasan, Ilam and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad were at the lowest level in this regard. While, in 2015, the provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi maintained their previous position and Fars province was in the third place. The province of Ilam, was still at the lowest level. The Gini coefficient of distribution of health facilities among the provinces of the country in 2011 was 0.49, and increased to 0.52 in 2015. The share ratio of the top 20% to the bottom 20% among the provinces in terms of enjoying health facilities in 2011 and 2015 was equal to 32 and 37, respectively.

The severity of inequality of health facilities among the provinces of the country has intensified during the Fifth Plan. The results show that the provinces have a significant difference in their position in access to health facilities and this indicates equal distribution of health facilities among the provinces of the country.