The State of Health Care in the Arab World

posted on: Dec 11, 2020

By: Noah Chani/Arab America Contributing Writer

In many countries, the health care services that we enjoy are simply an afterthought. In much of the Arab world, health care systems are lacking accessibility and neglect to include many aspects of human health. Although great strides have been made in attempt to tackle the health care deficiencies in the Arab world, much more can, and should, be done. This article will explore the current state of health care in the Arab world as a whole, explore the barriers that cause these shortcomings to exist.

There are many factors that can keep a single individual from obtaining proper health care, but typically it is not the individual who is at fault. There are structural issues within a country’s systems that inaccessibility is often the common derivative of. These barriers include organizational, geographical, cultural, and financial issues.

Public health programs in the Arab world cover a wide range of care, from prevention, to ambulatory, to inpatient care. All these are typically for free, or close to it. But these systems often miss a view vital aspects of “the health basket” as it is defined by Rodrigues-Sans et-al. Some of these gaps in coverage within the Arab world include cosmetic surgery, non-prescription drugs, dental care, and smoking prevention programs.

Downfalls of the Health Care System

Dental care is a main downfall within the health care systems of many Arab nations. Although not available in many, some countries offer dental care through public clinics. This is a step in the right direction, but the public clinic setup limits what dentists are able to do because of lack of equipment and also the sheer volume of patients. Dental supplies in many Arab countries are currently limited; this causes coverage issues and typically younger people are treated before middle-aged and elderly people.

Unlike dental care, public mental health clinics are few and far between and treatment often favors those with less severe mental disorders rather than those with longstanding mental disorders.

The lack of proper dental care is not just an issue in the Arab world. It is also very common in eastern Europe, as most dentists are located in cities, making coverage for people in rural areas a challenge.

Similar to dental care, mental health is also often overlooked by health care systems in the Arab world. Unlike dental care, public mental health clinics are few and far between and treatment often favors those with less severe mental disorders rather than those with longstanding mental disorders.

Along with the aforementioned deficiencies in the Arab health care system, geographic barriers also pose issues for people trying to receive adequate health care services. Lack of transportation can be an issue, as many people don’t have a vehicle and depend on public transportation. This also particularly impacts people who live in rural areas as they may not have a way to get to the cities necessary for care. Distance and availability/arrangement of transportation can be a great barrier as many may not have the proper options or ability to arrange for transportation.

Inequalities

A common trend between many of the barriers to adequate health care can be found when exploring the rural-urban inequalities of Arab countries. Rural areas typically have a fragile economy compared to urban areas that are dependent on the prosperity of one specialized item rather than a hoist of items like in a city. In rural areas there are also less hospitals, which means even if they did have healthcare, going to the hospital would be more of a challenge. With less hospitals, there are more at-home-births, which can often be unsanitary and lead to a higher infant mortality rate.

They are voicing concerns and pushing for steps in the right direction, tackling barriers currently facing their citizens.

Cultural barriers to health care in the Arab world also hinders the accessibility of their health care systems. Studies show that most women prefer female nurses and doctors and feel that there is more transparency with doctors of the same sex. This starts with creating equal employment opportunities for women in the health field, which in many Arab nations is not the case.

Women’s organizations in more forward-thinking countries like Tunisia and Lebanon believe “gender sensitive health care” should be offered to all. Minority groups in many Arab countries are also not garnered the same health advantages, as they struggle to find health care and can often find language differences with their doctors to pose problems.

While health care in the Arab World has a long way to go, we are beginning to see more progressive Arab nations. They are voicing concerns and pushing for steps in the right direction, tackling barriers currently facing their citizens. The urban-rural barrier must be bridged in order to give those living in rural areas the same opportunities as those who live in cities when it comes to health care.

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