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Healthcare
The establishment of regular and professional healthcare is regarded by many as being the most pressing of all needs for post-war Iraq. The current healthcare system is currently in a state of ruin, suffering from a lack of equipment, depleted ranks of trained personnel - with many having fled the country - and an overall poor standard of care. The principal areas that require improvement are cardiovascular treatment capability, general hygiene products, dialysis and a lack of functional laboratories.
The healthcare system supported by Saddam Hussein was riddled with corruption, healthcare quality varying according to ethnic region. Southern regions of Iraq, mainly populated by Shiite Muslims, had higher infant mortality rates than Baghdad, while health standards in the city of Kirkuk were manipulated. Companies wishing to sell pharmaceutical products to the Iraqi Ministry of Health were required to offer a 'service charge' of 10 per cent. |
There are approximately 240 hospitals operating in Iraq, with around 1,200 primary healthcare clinics also in the country. Since March 2003, 49 hospitals and clinics have been rehabilitated, with plans for a further 131 units to also be improved. Most of the equipment at the hospitals and clinics is either broken, outdated or inadequate, with the better services generally located around Baghdad and the country's northern regions.
Iraq's Ministry of Health has a professional staff of around 100,000, over 80 per cent of which are female. A large percentage of Iraq's healthcare professionals are specialised in their respective fields, with a severe lack of primary healthcare workers. Additionally, there is a distinct lack of first-tier pharmaceuticals available. |
Following the conflict in Iraq and the overthrowing of the country's previous regime, it was only through quick action from the former Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and a number of other international relief agencies that a public health crisis was averted. These parties have since been able to restore the Iraqi healthcare system to its pre-war levels. Over $40 million has been spent on 128 generators for healthcare sites, with over 13,000 tons of pharmaceutical supplies delivered since May 2003. Existing medical equipment has been surveyed and repaired where possible.
A number of programs have been undertaken by the Ministry of Health to foster international assistance, including the recent 'Adopt a Hospital' program and the 'Monthly National Immunisation Day' program, under which three million children have been vaccinated. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has been heavily involved in delivering vaccines, with 1.4 million doses of vaccinations delivered since July 2003. An additional 30 million doses have been procured with the aid of both UNICEF and USAID. |
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Malnutrition is also a major issue in Iraq, particularly in the southern and central regions, where almost a third of children are sufferers. Many women in these regions suffer from Anaemia. Child mortality rates are high, through a combination of low breast-feeding levels, low birth weights, diarrhoea and respiratory infections.
The Iraqi healthcare system under the previous regime was highly centralised, tending to concentrate on curing illnesses as opposed to looking to prevent them. Decentralisation of the management system has been deemed a priority. Other targets include the establishment of a body to oversee healthcare standards and to license healthcare professionals that will adhere to those standards; the incorporation of definitive legislation, updating whatever regulations are already in place. Satisfactory training and education programs also need to be put in place, along with the necessary infrastructure to enable healthcare management, planning and finance. |
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