Spatial inequality in accessibility to ICU beds in Brazilian municipalities in the Covid-19 pandemic

Due to the emergence of Covid-19, healthcare systems around the world have come under severe pressure. This highly contagious new virus causes severe breathing problems that require quick admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). Thus, good accessibility to ICU beds is essential to minimize the number of deaths. This study analyzes the inequality of access to ICU beds among Brazilian municipalities. For this, the spatial Gini index is calculated, considering the age and gender of the population, the number and location of beds and the distance separating the population from these beds. The findings show that there are regional differences in accessibility, being more limited in the North and Northeast regions. These regions are relatively poorer, and the North region is also characterized by having municipalities with a large territorial area and low population density. This is the first study on this topic for the Brazilian case.