►The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, WBFA, has noted that the current Ebola outbreak in the intersection of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, does not come at much surprise, when one considers that Liberia and Sierra Leone have the worst doctor-patient ratios in West Africa.
►Currently, the WBFA notes, the doctor-patient ratios in Liberia and Sierra Leone stand at 86,275-to-1 and 45,588-to-1 respectively.
►Currently, the WBFA notes, the doctor-patient ratios in Liberia and Sierra Leone stand at 86,275-to-1 and 45,588-to-1 respectively.
“This deadly pandemic should serve as a wake-up call to all actors in global health, from the World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, to national governments and aid agencies. The message is clear: weak health systems in poor and developing countries poses a threat to the global community at large, including the developed world.
From the table, it can be seen that issues like this present Ebola epidemic warns us of much bigger problems if the manpower and infrastructural deficits in the healthcare sector in sub-Saharan Africa are not well addressed. The Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) continues to advocate for strengthened health systems, especially through the provision of basic resources like the hallmark safe delivery kits (‘Mama kits’) and the innovative, client-held Integrated Maternal Newborn and Child Health (IMNCH) Personal Health Record (PHR) booklet.
Country Population N. of persons per doctor
Liberia 4.4 million 86,275
Sierra Leone 6. 2 million 45,588
Togo 7 million 20,057
Benin 10 million 18,450
Senegal 12.8 million 17,274
Cameroon 20.3 million 15,082
Guinea Bissau 1.75 million 14,113
Mali 15.7 million 12,161
Ghana 27 million 11,634
Guinea 10. 6 million 11,277
Cote d’Ivoire 23.2 million 8,449
Nigeria 168 million 2,879
South Africa 54 million 1,366
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