Health in Djibouti
In Djibouti, malnutrition is severe and the incidence of Tuberculosis is high. Malaria is low.
History
The first health care facility in Djibouti was opened in 1897 by the Ethiopian Railways Company, which was later purchased by the state in 1901. It was expanded to include a facility for tuberculosis patients and included 12 new beds for the medically indigent. In 1949, the number of beds increased to 330. Additionally, a laboratory and the ability to treat patients with pulmonary diseases was added. The facility was expanded again in 1953, adding a surgical unit named after Guibert Germain and a blood transfusion unit. The hospital was renamed in 1955 after General Peltier to commemorate his service as a chief physician for 25 years. Additional operating theaters were added the same year. The facility expanded again in 1968 to include a 35 bed maternal ward and 30 beds for eye and ENT.[1]:30
Health care
In 2010 there were an estimated 23 physicians and 80 nurses per 100,000 people.[2] Since healthcare in the region is so poor, more than a third of the healthcare recipients are migrants. Healthcare is best in the capital; outside the capital it is limited by poor infrastructure, equipment shortages, and a lack of qualified personnel.[3]
Issues
Geographic inequality
A lack of infrastructure outside of cities means that rural residents have worse access to healthcare.
Health status
Life, maternal, death, and birth rates
Life expectancy has increased by 18 years since 1960.
| Year | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 42.7 | 45.4 | 44.0 |
| 1970 | 47.8 | 50.6 | 49.1 |
| 1980 | 52.1 | 55.2 | 53.6 |
| 1990 | 55.1 | 58.3 | 56.7 |
| 2000 | 55.5 | 58.6 | 57.0 |
| 2010 | 58.9 | 61.9 | 60.4 |
| 2014 | 60.4 | 63.7 | 62.0 |
Infant mortality has decreased by 38.5 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1990.
| Year | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 100.6 | 84.4 | 92.7 |
| 2000 | 86.5 | 72.6 | 79.7 |
| 2010 | 67.7 | 56.3 | 62.2 |
| 2015 | 59.2 | 49.1 | 54.2 |
Djibouti's birth rate is 23.6/1,000 inhabitants, while its death rate is 7.6 deaths/1,000 inhabitants. The maternal rate is 2.29 deaths/1,000 inhabitants.[3] The death rate was 7.73 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.[2]
HIV/AIDS
The HIV/AIDS in Djibouti prevalence was 1.6% of the population for those aged 15–49 years old, as of 2015.[2] As of 2015, there were approximately 9,400 people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.[3] There were an estimated 600 deaths from AIDS in 2015.[3]
Women and children
There were 1,007 cases of malaria in 1994. Between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s, 23 percent of children under five were underweight. That number has risen to 29.8% in 2012.[3] In Djibouti, 93.1% females had female genital mutilation as of 2006.[2] Female genital mutilation is a leading cause of infant and maternal mortality, and it continues to be prevalent to this day, despite a 1995 law prohibiting the practice.[3]
Notes
This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies website http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/.
