NigeriaPolls
All indices

Index methodology

Healthcare Access Index

How easily Nigerians can reach, afford and trust healthcare.

What the Healthcare Access Index measures

The Healthcare Access Index measures access, affordability and quality of care as Nigerians experience them, set beside official facility and coverage statistics. It supports health reporters, programme planners and providers who need a consistent reference.

The index runs on a 0 to 100 scale with 50 as the neutral point. Higher means a more positive reading.

Components

Public hospital access

Distance, wait and availability of public care.

Affordability

Out-of-pocket cost of consultations and treatment.

Drug availability

Whether prescribed medicines can be found and paid for.

Maternal and child care

Access to antenatal, delivery and child health services.

Health insurance coverage

Whether households are covered by a scheme.

Three inputs, reported side by side

1. Nigeria Pulse conversation signal

Nigeria Pulse tracks daily conversation about hospitals, drug prices, health worker strikes and insurance. It shows which health concerns are rising by state.

Explore Nigeria Pulse

2. Official data from named institutions

  • National Population Commission (NPC) and ICF: Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey indicators.
  • National Bureau of Statistics (NBS): Household health and expenditure statistics.
  • National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA): Insurance enrolment publications.
  • National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA): Primary health facility information.

Every official figure is shown with its institution and release year.

3. Field data from the phone sampling frame

Fieldwork runs on the NigeriaPolls nationwide random-digit-dial phone sampling frame of more than 11,000 Nigerian mobile numbers across all 36 states and the FCT. Questions cover the last time the respondent or a household member sought care.

How the index is scaled and published

  1. 1

    Rescale. Every input is converted to a 0 to 100 score against fixed floor and ceiling values that are published before the first release and not changed afterwards.

  2. 2

    Combine. Components are combined with equal weights unless a release states otherwise. The weights and bounds are listed on the methodology page.

  3. 3

    Publish. Each release states the field dates, question wording, response basis and sample size, and shows the field, official and conversation views side by side.

  4. 4

    Revise. Any change to wording, bounds or weights is logged with a version note, so a series is never quietly rewritten.

How to cite

Cite each release with the index name, the release month and year, and the page address. Quote the sample size and field dates exactly as printed on the release.

NigeriaPolls, Healthcare Access Index, release month and year. https://nigeriapolls.com/indices/healthcare-access-index

Frequently asked questions

What does the Healthcare Access Index measure?

It measures access, affordability and quality of healthcare on a 0 to 100 scale, from the household point of view.

Does it replace official health statistics?

No. It sits beside them. Official figures such as those from the NPC and NBS are named and dated wherever they are used.

How do I cite the index?

Cite each release as: NigeriaPolls, Healthcare Access Index, release month and year, https://nigeriapolls.com/indices/healthcare-access-index.