Spatial Distribution of Healthcare Facilities and Implications for Environmental Health Access in Benue State

Geographic inequalities in the distribution of healthcare facilities have profound implications for environmental health outcomes, particularly in states characterised by dispersed rural settlement patterns. This study analyses the spatial distribution of healthcare facilities and its implications for environmental health access in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Using Geographic Information Systems, the location of 312 registered primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities was mapped and analysed against population distribution data from the 2022 National Population Commission projections. Accessibility surfaces were generated using cost-distance analysis based on road network data, and service area polygons were constructed for each facility. A household survey of 200 respondents assessed actual healthcare-seeking behaviour and perceived access barriers. Findings indicate that 38 percent of Benue State's population resides more than ten kilometres from the nearest functional primary healthcare centre, with the greatest access deficits in Local Government Areas in the northern senatorial zone. Private facilities are concentrated in Makurdi and Gboko urban areas, exacerbating disparities for rural populations. Environmental health services including immunisation, maternal care, and water quality testing are reported as least accessible in underserved areas. The study recommends targeted facility siting in underserved LGAs, mobile health outreach programming, and integration of spatial equity criteria into health sector planning. Keywords: healthcare access, spatial distribution, environmental health, Benue State, GIS analysis.