A country’s healthcare system is considered to be poor or among the worst in the world when it fails to meet certain essential criteria. These include access to healthcare services, quality of healthcare facilities and treatments, availability of healthcare professionals, affordability of healthcare services, and overall health outcomes.
When these elements are lacking or severely deficient, it leads to a healthcare system that is unable to adequately address the healthcare needs of its population.
Consequently, individuals may experience difficulty in accessing timely and appropriate medical care, resulting in poorer health outcomes and a decreased quality of life.
What are the Countries with the Worst Healthcare and Hospitals in the World?
Some countries have been frequently cited by several health organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) as having some of the worst healthcare systems in the world. This is based on various indicators such as low healthcare expenditure, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to healthcare services, and poor health outcomes.
Top 20 countries with the worst healthcare and hospitals in the world:
Costa Rica
Costa Rica generally has a better healthcare system compared to many developing countries. However, it is first on the list due to challenges in accessibility, quality, and infrastructure, especially in rural areas.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan faces numerous healthcare challenges. These include a lack of infrastructure, limited access to medical services, low health expenditure, ongoing conflicts affecting healthcare delivery, and high rates of infectious diseases.
Malawi
Malawi has a struggling healthcare system. It is characterized by limited healthcare facilities, shortage of healthcare professionals, inadequate resources, and high disease burden, particularly related to HIV/AIDS, malaria, and malnutrition.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea’s healthcare system is hindered by geographical barriers, limited infrastructure, shortages of healthcare workers, and inadequate funding. This leads to poor access to healthcare, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Israel
Israel generally has a well-developed healthcare system, with advanced medical technology and highly trained professionals. Its inclusion in this list is due to certain challenges in healthcare accessibility and affordability for certain populations, including Palestinians living in the occupied territories.
Yemen
Yemen is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis. This gave rise to a healthcare system in shambles due to ongoing conflict, limited access to medical facilities, shortage of healthcare workers, and inadequate resources. This situation has led to high mortality rates and increased prevalence of diseases.
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic suffers from a lack of healthcare infrastructure, limited access to medical services, shortage of healthcare professionals, and political instability. These factors contribute to poor healthcare outcomes and low life expectancy.
Madagascar
Madagascar’s healthcare system faces numerous challenges, such as limited healthcare infrastructure, inadequate resources, high prevalence of infectious diseases (e.g., malaria), and low healthcare expenditure. These factors negatively impact the quality and accessibility of healthcare services.
Nigeria
Nigeria, despite being one of Africa’s largest economies, struggles with a healthcare system that faces challenges. These include inadequate infrastructure, limited access to healthcare services, insufficient healthcare funding, and brain drain of healthcare professionals.
Sudan
Sudan’s healthcare system is characterized by a lack of infrastructure, inadequate resources, and limited access to quality healthcare services, particularly in rural areas. The country also faces challenges due to ongoing conflicts and political instability.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s healthcare system suffers from various issues, including inadequate healthcare infrastructure, limited access to medical services, brain drain of healthcare professionals, and economic challenges. These factors contribute to poor healthcare outcomes and low life expectancy.
Slovenia
Slovenia generally has a well-developed healthcare system compared to many other countries on this list. Its inclusion is due to certain challenges such as the affordability and accessibility of healthcare services, particularly for marginalized populations.
Belgium
Belgium has a well-established healthcare system, but its inclusion on this list is due to various factors. These include healthcare accessibility and affordability for certain populations, regional disparities in healthcare quality, and waiting times for non-emergency medical procedures.
Luxembourg’s healthcare system is generally well-regarded, with high-quality healthcare services. However, its small size and limited population impacts its ranking, as healthcare systems in larger countries face more complex challenges.
Lithuania
Lithuania’s healthcare system faces challenges. These include limited healthcare resources, brain drain of healthcare professionals, regional disparities in healthcare quality, and long waiting times for certain medical procedures.
Hungary
Hungary’s healthcare system faces challenges related to accessibility, long waiting times for certain medical procedures, shortage of healthcare professionals, and regional disparities in healthcare quality. These factors contribute to its ranking among the countries with the worst healthcare.
Ireland
Ireland generally has a well-developed healthcare system. However, it faces certain issues like long waiting times for non-emergency procedures, regional disparities in healthcare access, and challenges in managing the growing demand for healthcare services.
Italy
Italy has a well-established healthcare system, but it faces challenges. These include regional disparities in healthcare quality, long waiting times for certain medical procedures, and issues with healthcare accessibility in some regions.
Turkey
Turkey has made significant progress in improving its healthcare system, but challenges remain. These include accessibility and affordability issues, regional disparities in healthcare quality, and a large population that strains healthcare resources.
Colombia
Colombia’s healthcare system faces challenges. They include limited healthcare infrastructure in rural areas, regional disparities in healthcare quality, and difficulties in providing equitable access to healthcare for marginalized populations.
How Does WHO Ranks Countries with the Worst Healthcare in the World?
A step-by-step explanation of how the WHO evaluates and analyzes healthcare systems:
Data Collection
The WHO collects extensive data from countries regarding various aspects of their healthcare systems. This includes information on healthcare infrastructure, health financing, healthcare workforce, access to healthcare services, health outcomes, and more.
Selection of Indicators
Based on the collected data, the WHO selects a set of indicators that reflect different dimensions of healthcare systems. These indicators include factors like healthcare expenditure, health workforce density, access to essential medicines, immunization coverage, maternal and child health indicators, and prevalence of major diseases.
Data Analysis
The collected data is analyzed to calculate the values of each selected indicator for different countries. This analysis allows for comparisons and assessments of healthcare system performance across countries.
Country Profiles
The WHO prepares country profiles that provide an overview of the healthcare system in each country. These profiles present key data, indicators, and highlight areas of strength and weakness in the respective healthcare systems.
Reports and Rankings
The WHO publishes reports and assessments based on the collected data and analysis. These reports often provide insights into global health trends, challenges, and best practices. While the WHO may not explicitly rank countries as having the worst healthcare systems, the reports can shed light on variations in healthcare performance among countries.
How to Avoid Destinations with the Worst Healthcare and Hospitals?
When planning international travel, it’s important to consider healthcare facilities and services available at your destination. While it’s challenging to completely avoid destinations with the worst healthcare and hospitals, you can prioritize countries that generally have better healthcare systems.
5 ways to avoid destinations with the worst healthcare and hospitals:
Research healthcare infrastructure
Look for countries with a robust healthcare infrastructure, including a sufficient number of hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities.
Check healthcare access
Consider countries where access to healthcare services is widely available, including remote areas, to ensure you can receive medical care if needed.
Assess healthcare quality
Look for countries with high-quality healthcare systems that prioritize patient safety, have well-trained healthcare professionals, and adhere to international healthcare standards.
Consider travel insurance
Regardless of the destination, it is always wise to have comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical emergencies and repatriation.
Embrace preventive health measures
If you have to unavoidably go to a destination known for its poor healthcare, be sufficiently prepared health-wise. Take prescribed preventive medications and try to watch your health as much as you can during your stay.
5 countries with the best healthcare in the world:
Singapore
Singapore consistently ranks among the top countries for healthcare. It offers advanced medical technology, world-class hospitals, and high standards of care.
Switzerland
Switzerland is known for its efficient and well-regulated healthcare system. It provides comprehensive coverage, has a high concentration of healthcare professionals, and offers a wide range of medical services.
Japan
Japan has a renowned healthcare system that emphasizes preventive care, resulting in one of the highest life expectancies in the world. It combines advanced medical technology with a strong focus on public health.
Germany
Germany has a well-regarded healthcare system with a high standard of care. It is known for its advanced medical technology, highly trained healthcare professionals, and efficient healthcare delivery.
Australia
Australia boasts a comprehensive healthcare system that provides accessible and high-quality care. It has a well-established network of hospitals and medical facilities.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has a well-structured healthcare system that offers high-quality services. It emphasizes primary care, and its hospitals are equipped with modern facilities and technologies.
Sweden
Sweden has a publicly funded healthcare system that provides comprehensive coverage. It focuses on preventive care and places a strong emphasis on patient safety.
Norway
Norway has a robust healthcare system known for its high-quality care and universal access. It consistently ranks highly in global healthcare assessments.
Denmark
Denmark’s healthcare system is characterized by its comprehensive coverage, accessibility, and high standard of care. It prioritizes primary healthcare and preventive measures.
Canada
Canada operates a universal healthcare system that provides comprehensive coverage to its residents. It has a high number of healthcare professionals and offers excellent healthcare facilities.
How do these countries achieve high-quality healthcare?
Countries with good healthcare systems often prioritize investments in healthcare infrastructure, technology, and training of healthcare professionals. They emphasize preventive care, have robust healthcare policies and regulations, and strive for universal access to healthcare services.
Do these countries have affordable healthcare?
While the cost of healthcare can vary among countries, many countries with good healthcare systems have mechanisms in place to ensure affordability. This can include government subsidies, insurance coverage, and a focus on cost containment measures.
Are these countries suitable for medical tourism?
Yes, countries with good healthcare systems are popular destinations for medical tourism. They attract patients from around the world seeking high-quality and cost-effective medical treatments, procedures, and specialized care.
Are there any challenges or areas for improvement in these healthcare systems?
Even countries with highly regarded healthcare systems face challenges and have areas for improvement. These can include issues such as healthcare inequalities, rising healthcare costs, wait times for certain treatments, and addressing emerging health challenges.
