Objective:

To identify some evidence on the study of equity in the distribution of human health resources and its methodological tools.

Materials and methods:

A descriptive study was carried out to identify inequity in the distribution of human resources in health. The search was conducted in Spanish and English, using the terms: health equity, distribution, human resources in health and health personnel. The period for the review was from April 12th to May 29th, 2017. A classification of the studies found was based on the perspective of distribution of human health resources.

Results:

Countries such as Australia, Germany, France and Sweden have studied equity in terms of population distribution between rural and urban areas. To estimate it one of the most used indicators is the Gini Index. Another method used is that based on the criterion of population density, based on population-based rates, for example, in Mexico the rate of doctors per 1,000 inhabitants nationwide is 2.2, lower than the average of the Member countries of the OECD, which is 3.2. Another form of inequality in the distribution of human resources is presented by levels of care where human resources tend to be concentrated at the hospital level. In Mexico in 2015, only 32.7% of the total number of physicians and 29.9% of the total number of nurses in the Ministry of Health were located in primary care units, both of which are below the WHO recommended figure (40 %).

Conclusions:

The study of inequity in health requires the understanding of concepts of equality and equity. Indicators for the study of equity are useful as they point to deficiencies in the allocation and concentrations of human resources in certain áreas.

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