Spatial distribution of mammography equipment in Brazil

Abstract

This study evaluates the mammography equipment supply network in Brazil, considering the regional availability of the equipment and the distance between potential demand and supply of equipment at the municipal level. The results show that the total number of mammography equipment in Brazil should be enough to attend the population, considering the estimated demand according to a technical note from the National Institute of Cancer (INCA). However, when the distance range of supply is limited to 60 km, it is possible to identify regions where there is no equipment provision, while other regions concentrate more equipment than necessary, indicating locational inequality in the spatial distribution of mammography equipment.

Keywords:
spatial distribution; health; mammography equipment