Spatial Access Matters: An Analysis of Policy Change and Its Effects on Avoidable Infant Mortality in Portugal.

In 2006, a policy reform restructured the maternal and perinatal healthcare system, including closing smaller maternity units, to further improve care in Portugal. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the 2006 National Program of Maternal and Neonatal Health policy on spatial inequalities in access to care and consequently avoidable infant mortality. A thematic analysis of qualitative data including interviews and surveys and a quantitative spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems was applied.