AFRICA - 10 African nations among poorest in medical attention: in Chad, less than one doctor for every 20,000 people

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - Shortages of medical staff have been identified as one of the major impediments to achieving the health-related UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A recently published list shows 10 African countries that are severely suffering from this problem. With fewer than one doctor for every 20,000 people and just four hospital beds for every 10,000, Chad has one of the worst health-worker shortages in the world. The country requires 300 percent more health workers.
In Burundi, malaria is responsible for 40 percent of health-center consultations and 47 percent of in-patient deaths in Burundi, but there is just one doctor per 34,744 people and two nurses per 10,000. The government provides free maternal and child healthcare and free treatment and care for people living with HIV, but the country's lack of skilled health professionals has severely hampered this program. One of Africa's most populous nations, Ethiopia is extremely short of doctors, with fewer than one doctor for every 36,407 people. In Tanzania, the Ministry of Health reported in 2007 that the country had 1,339 physicians, mostly in the Dar es Salaam region, which had at least one doctor per 10,000 population, six times the national average. Many regions have a ratio as low as 0.1 doctors per 10,000 people.
Ravaged by civil war for nearly two decades, it is unsurprising that Somalia has one of the worst health-worker shortages in Africa. A 2009 study of three districts in south-central Somalia found just 11 doctors serving a population of about 600,000; the same population was also served by 161 nurses and auxiliary nurses and 32 community health workers. Liberia has just 51 doctors and fewer than half of all births are attended by a skilled health professional, and maternal mortality is very high, at 994 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Sierra Leone has a serious health worker gap, with about three doctors per 100,000 people. The country is using Cuban and Nigerian doctors to fill part of the personnel gap. In Malawi, there are an estimated two doctors for every 100,000 people. Niger has just 288 doctors for a population of 14 million and one of the worst health crises in the world. Almost 90 percent of health workers are in cities and 40 percent of all health workers operate in the capital, Niamey. One of the poorest countries in the world, Mozambique, has just 548 doctors for a population of more than 22 million.
The baseline estimate for achieving health-related MDGs is at least 23 health workers per 10,000 people - against an average of 13 in Africa. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 02/06/2010)