Spatial Distribution Analysis of Services at the National Center for Infertility Diagnosis and Treatment in Al‑Jabal Al‑Akhdar: A Study in Service Geography

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of access and spatial equity in the services provided by the National Center for Infertility Diagnosis and Treatment, and to propose planning alternatives that reduce the burden of access for peripheral areas within the Al‑Jabal Al‑Akhdar region, using Al‑Bayda as the sole reference service point. A database of case locations was constructed using Google Earth Pro and field visits to the center, followed by the application of GIS tools. The spatial burden index (distance in km × number of cases) was employed, along with Kernel Density analysis to identify deficit hotspots and Buffer analysis to delineate service zones. The results revealed that the service influence extended from less than 1 km to more than 500 km, reaching as far as Al‑Jaghbub, indicating a clear regional pattern of service centralization. The near‑range service zones (0–30 km and 30–60 km) encompassed 20 out of 36 areas, accounting for 455 cases (59.71%). In contrast, Tobruk exhibited a significant peripheral burden within the 200–300 km zone, representing 11.29% of cases with an average distance of 259 km. The study presents a practical future vision based on establishing supporting centers in Derna, Tobruk, Al‑Marj, and Al‑Jaghbub, while maintaining Al‑Bayda as the reference center. This scenario would increase coverage to 72.52% across an area of 75,503.01 km² and reduce access gaps in peripheral regions.