Access to health service

Health services are preventive and clinical services that aim to address the main causes of excess mortality and morbidity present in the given context. Access is the ability of the affected population to use to, or be covered by, those services. This may be limited by the capacity of health services (human resources, supplies and equipment, systems and procedures) in relation to the population to be served, and by distance, cost, social exclusion, lack of information etc. An acceptable situation is one in which the capacity of health services and access to those services are such that etc mortality and morbidity can be avoided.