An Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis of Health Indicators in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan exhibits significant spatial diversity in the distribution of its economic activities, accompanied by persistent regional disparities in various dimensions of health. This article aims to examine the distribution of health indices across 97 districts of Pakistan using exploratory spatial data analysis for the periods 2004-05 and 2014-15. To achieve this, an augmented health index was developed to measure health indicators across districts. The index comprises five key indicators, which were aggregated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to generate the final composite index. The findings reveal a positive global autocorrelation, indicating that districts with higher (or lower) health levels tend to be spatially clustered with neighboring districts exhibiting similar health outcomes. Scatterplot analyses of the health index reveal that districts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) predominantly fall in the High-High (HH) quadrant, while districts in Interior Sindh and Baluchistan are concentrated in the Low-Low (LL) quadrant for both study periods. These results underscore the dual structure of Pakistan's economic geography, consistent with findings from prior studies. Given the importance of geographic disparities in health outcomes, it is recommended to address inter-district inequalities by strengthening social and economic institutions and infrastructure, particularly in Baluchistan and Interior Sindh.