Alan Padilla-Campoy, Private Practice, Baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico
Background: No previous study has mapped the population’s geographical access to radiotherapy (RT) services in Mexico. Objectives: To understand where communities are relative to RT centers, as it is key to identify where new services would have the largest impact. Method: Data from the 2020 census and the IAEA’s DIRAC were combined to map access to RT. The road distance from the municipality to the nearest RT clinic was used to identify how geographic access varies across the country. Municipalities were categorized by distance, and a map was created to visualize them. Results: In Mexico, 32% of the population can access RT services locally while 23.38% must travel ≥ 100 km; for brachytherapy, 28.57% can access it locally, and 30.19% must travel ≥ 100 km. The southwest region – Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero – is the most underserved in the country. Conclusion: Geography is a major barrier to RT in Mexico: an estimated 30 million people face challenges accessing RT due to distance. The estimates presented in this paper are likely optimistic, but are a tool for prioritizing new services.
Keywords: Radiotherapy. Geography. Health services accessibility. Mexico.
