View source for Health in Algeria

{{Short description|none}}
[[Algeria]] is the largest country in [[Africa]] and is estimated to have a population of around 46,278,751 people. Algeria has a [[Publicly funded health care|public health care system]], which is accessible and free of charge to all citizens of Algeria.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|last1=Lamri|first1=Larbi|last2=Gripiotis|first2=Erofile|last3=Ferrario|first3=Alessandra|date=2014-02-24|title=Diabetes in Algeria and challenges for health policy: a literature review of prevalence, cost, management and outcomes of diabetes and its complications|journal=Globalization and Health|volume=10|pages=11|doi=10.1186/1744-8603-10-11|issn=1744-8603|pmc=3943499|pmid=24564974 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The public health care system is financed by the [[government of Algeria]].<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1007/s11482-009-9073-y | volume=4| issue=2|journal=Applied Research in Quality of Life|pages=223–238| title=Health and Subjective Wellbeing in Algeria: A Developing Country in Transition| year=2009| last1=Tiliouine| first1=Habib| s2cid=145553969}}</ref> Given Algeria's young population, policy favors preventive [[health care]] and clinics over hospitals. In keeping with this policy, the government maintains an intensive [[immunization]] programme and a policy which allows Algerian citizens health care for Hospitalisations, medicines and outpatient care free to all citizens of Algeria.

Algeria became a member of the [[World Health Organization]] on November 8, 1962.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.who.int/gb/bd/pdf_files/BD_49th-en.pdf|title=Basic Documents (forty-ninth edition)|last=|first=|date=2020|website=World Health Organization|pages=27–31|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=April 25, 2020}}</ref>

Algeria is facing an exodus of its qualified doctors to Europe, particularly France.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.egora.fr/actus-pro/societe/le-desarroi-des-pays-du-maghreb-face-lexode-de-leurs-medecins-la-france-offre-des |title=Le désarroi des pays du Maghreb face à l’exode de leurs médecins : "La France offre des conditions attractives" |work=Egora |date=16 April 2025 |access-date=18 April 2025}}</ref>

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative<ref>{{Cite web |title=Human Rights Measurement Initiative – The first global initiative to track the human rights performance of countries |url=https://humanrightsmeasurement.org/ |access-date=2022-03-13 |website=humanrightsmeasurement.org}}</ref> finds that Algeria is fulfilling 83.8% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.<ref name="Algeria - HRMI Rights Tracker">{{Cite web |title=Algeria - HRMI Rights Tracker |url=https://rightstracker.org/ |access-date=2022-03-13 |website=rightstracker.org |language=en}}</ref> When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Algeria achieves 93.7% of what is expected based on its current income.<ref name="Algeria - HRMI Rights Tracker"/> In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves 95.5% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.<ref name="Algeria - HRMI Rights Tracker"/> Algeria falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 62.1% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.<ref name="Algeria - HRMI Rights Tracker"/>

==Public healthcare system==

At the change of Algeria's independence in 1962,<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/6981230|title=THE PROBLEMS OF FUNDING THE HEALTH SYSTEM IN ALGERIA|journal=International Journal of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ijmps)|date=30 April 2014 |access-date=2016-05-17|last1=Publication |first1=Tjprc }}</ref> The Algerian health care system was very minor consisting of 1 physician per 33,000 people, estimated 300 doctors in all and one trained paramedic per 40,000 people.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.globalsurance.com/health-insurance/algeria/|title=Algeria Health Insurance|website=www.globalsurance.com|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> The country has made major changes and progresses in its policies and systems in health care. From 1975 onward, the [[Algerian Government|Algerian government]] introduced a free national health care system. Hospital treatment, medications, and outpatient care became free to all citizens of Algeria.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/algeria/68.htm|title=Algeria - HEALTH AND WELFARE|website=countrystudies.us|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> The national medical insurance scheme covers 90% of the entire population. The Algerian government decided to invest in government run expansive health care centres and clinics instead of investing in expensive hospitals.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/overview/focal-point-investing-improving-infrastructure-and-facilitating-growth-local-pharmaceuticals|title=Investment in expanding clinics and hospitals improving Algeria's health indicators|date=2016-01-20|website=Oxford Business Group|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> The health care facilities and medical equipment varies in size depending on the size of local population. Remote areas tend to get more rudimentary medical services.<ref name="auto1"/> The Algerian government had a 4-year plan from 2010 to 2014, which was expected to spend €5.7bn in health care which a majority of the fund directed in the establishment of over 1,500 health care facilities all over [[Algeria]]. by 2015 the Algerian government had allocated €4.85bn to build 10 hospitals and renovate old ones.<ref name="auto2"/> The Algerian government is investing in human resources by creating 58,000 jobs in nursing, doctors and health care assistants. The Algerian government is dedicating increased funds into increasing the amount of resources that the health care sector needs to develop their new facilities. This funding will go into new medical equipment and improved hospital capacity capabilities.

== Private health system ==
The private health sectors in [[Algeria]] is a non government run health care system which citizens must pay for their services. The private health care sector had developed quickly to fill the gaps that the government public health care system had left.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.pacificprime.com/country/africa/algeria-health-insurance-pacific-prime-international/|title=Algeria Health Insurance - Pacific Prime International|website=www.pacificprime.com|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> Private medical care is very limited as their services are not covered by the public health care system and only a few Algerians can afford to pay out of pocket payments for their own medical treatments.<ref name="auto3"/> Patients that seek to use the private health system will pay large amounts of out of pocket fees and enjoy quality of service that only a few can afford. A private health insurance system does not yet exist in Algeria. Private medical facilities are becoming more common in [[Algeria]] with in 2015, 250 private clinics operating with many more planned and being built.<ref name="auto2"/>

== Poverty and hunger ==
Algeria is emerging from a several year internal conflict that had effected the nation into deep poverty and unemployment in rural areas. The [[rural poverty]] is closely related to the lack of income and employment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/algeria|title=Rural Poverty Portal|website=Rural Poverty Portal|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> Due to the poverty families in these rural areas find it hard to afford basic food needs. Since 1986 the [[United Nations]] [[World Food Programme|WFP]] (world food Program) has helped provide basic food needs to the people in need in [[Algeria]]. The role of WFP's food assistance is to help the families and those who need help to meet basic food and nutritional needs. Dry food baskets provided consist of cereals (wheat flour, rice and barley), pulses (lentils, beans and chick peas), sugar, vegetable oil and blended food.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wfp.org/countries/algeria|title=Algeria {{!}} WFP {{!}} United Nations World Food Programme - Fighting Hunger Worldwide|website=www.wfp.org|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> The united nations WPA Algeria runs from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2015 with a total budget of US$66 Million. [[World Food Programme|WFP]] find it hard to find products for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition due to funding.

==Health statuses and issues==

=== Life expectancy ===
[[File:Life expectancy by WBG -Algeria.png|thumb|350px|[[Life expectancy at birth]] in Algeria]]
According to the World Health Organization, life expectancy in Algeria in males was 70.3 years of age and females 73.5 with a total life expectancy of 71.8. Giving Algeria a world life expectancy ranking of 103.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/algeria-life-expectancy|title=Life Expectancy in Algeria|website=World Life Expectancy|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> In 2020 Algeria's life expectancy increased with males having a life expectancy of 76.95 years of age and females 77.96 years of age. The total life expectancy being 76.59 years of age.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN|title=Life expectancy at birth, female (years) {{!}} Data {{!}} Table|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref>

=== Smoking ===
45 people die every day in Algeria from serious diseases caused by smoking, according to Pr Salim Nafti, president of the Algerian Society of Pneumophtisiology, who works at the [[Mustapha Pacha hospital]]. Smoking is the main causes of 25 serious diseases with 90% of which are cancers. Every year more than 8700  people are killed by tobacco-caused rated diseases. More than 14,2000 children and more than 3,224,000 adults continue to use tobacco each day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tobaccoatlas.org/country-data/algeria/|title=Algeria|website=The Tobacco Atlas|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> The Algerian law has a lack of firmness on laws regarding on the sale and distribution of cigarettes with a lack of enforcement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aps.dz/en/health-science-tech/2785-smoking-kills-45-people-every-day-in-algeria|title=Smoking kills 45 people every day in Algeria|website=www.aps.dz|access-date=2016-05-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223191748/http://www.aps.dz/en/health-science-tech/2785-smoking-kills-45-people-every-day-in-algeria|archive-date=2015-12-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2010, 11.2% males deaths and 1.3% female deaths were a result of a smoking-related death. With children smoking in Algeria, 18% more boys smoke in Algeria than the average in middle-income countries.

=== Diseases ===
Diabetes in Algeria has become a widespread severe health issue. Diabetes in Algeria has increased from 6.8% in 1990, 8.9% in 2003, 12.29% in 2005, 13.8% in 2010. Currently 10.5% in 2016 with 10.2% males and 10.7% females. In 2014 there were over 1.6 million cases of diabetes with 14,044 Adult deaths in Algeria. ([[International Diabetes Federation]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.idf.org/membership/mena/algeria|title=Algeria|website=International Diabetes Federation|access-date=2016-05-17}}</ref> It is predominantly most common in 35–70 year olds, which consist of a large segment of the working population. The transition from the traditional life style to a more westernised is one of the major explanatory factors behind the rapid progression of diabetes in Algeria.<ref name="auto"/>

==See also==
* [[Healthcare in Algeria]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.who.int/country/dza/en World Health Organization (WHO): Algeria]

{{Algeria topics}}
{{Africa topic|Health in}}

* {{Country study}}- [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Algeria.pdf Algeria]

[[Category:Health in Algeria| ]]