Perceived unmet needs in healthcare as inequality indicators: Evidence from South Africa

Unmet healthcare needs are significant public health concerns worldwide. In South Africa, this is especially prevalent with high healthcare inequities. Issues about availability, acceptability and accessibility are central to the healthcare inequities in South Africa. Yet, little information exists on how people in different sociodemographic groups perceive these issues and their perceptions about overall unmet healthcare needs. This study assesses the dynamics behind perceived unmet healthcare needs in South Africa. We use the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) data from the 2010 Health and Healthcare module. For the empirical analysis, logistical regressions were used to assess the sociodemographic determinants behind perceived unmet healthcare needs among South Africans. In addition, a composite index was constructed based on the three main themes, while three separate logistic regressions were also conducted based on each of the three dimensions. Overall, the results show that income, race, age, and regional factors influence people's view of unmet healthcare needs in South Africa. The findings point to the fact that perceived issues about unmet healthcare needs are clustered around those most vulnerable in society. Driven mainly by availability issues, reasons like waiting lists or queues too long and living too far from healthcare facilities are some of the primary reasons why the vulnerable still feel their healthcare needs are unmet. The needs of the socioeconomically disadvantaged population should be addressed by the government so that they can endure the effects of crises when they occur. In addition, South African policymakers should concentrate on the socio-disadvantaged population when designing the National Health Insurance (NHI) system.