Spatial Analysis of Mobile Connectivity and Access to Healthcare : A Case Study of Windhoek, Namibia

Sammanfattning

Access to healthcare in contemporary cities is increasingly dual-layered, shaped not only by the physical geography of clinics, roads, and travel distance, but also by digital connectivity and the ability to make meaningful use of it. However, it remains unclear whether digital connectivity meaningfully compensates for weak physical access to essential healthcare services at neighbourhood scale, particularly in rapidly changing African cities. This thesis addresses that gap by examining how physical accessibility to primary healthcare clinics and digital capability interact in Windhoek, Namibia, and whether mobile connectivity plausibly compensates for, complements, or fails to offset spatial disadvantage. Grounded in accessibility science and digital divide theory, the study employs an open data spatial framework based on a 500-metre hexagonal grid to harmonize clinic locations, mobile network performance indicators, population density, centrality measures, and night-time light intensity as a proxy for urban economic and infrastructural activity. The analytical strategy combines descriptive mapping, mismatch typology, ordinary least squares regression, and quantile regression to assess whether connectivity is associated with clinic accessibility once broader urban structure is taken into account. To strengthen interpretation, the thesis also draws on targeted field verification through a resident micro-survey and expert workshop evidence. The findings show that clinic accessibility in Windhoek is primarily structured by centrality and, secondarily, by broader urban intensity, while mobile connectivity does not emerge as a robust independent predictor in either the baseline or distribution-sensitive models. The verification evidence further suggests that digital access is widespread enough to matter, but its practical value is constrained by affordability, incomplete online service pathways, and the continued importance of face-to-face care. The thesis therefore, concludes that digital connectivity can reduce selected access frictions, but it does not compensate for the deeper structural inequalities produced by clinic geography and urban centrality. Methodologically, the study shows how open spatial data, regression modelling, and targeted verification can be combined to examine physical and digital access together in a data-constrained urban setting. It also provides practical insight for discussions on more inclusive health and digital planning in Windhoek.