[In this Financial Times article, Gina Lagomarsino, R4D’s president and CEO, highlights why strong electronic medical record systems are crucial for the future of health care.]
Healthcare in developing countries is far from being universally accessible. Healthcare spending by governments in low-income countries was just $23 per person in 2016, even after adjusting for the relative cost of living, compared with more than $4,000 in OECD member states.
A lack of funding results in a shortage of resources, while doctors are stretched to meet the needs of a large number of patients. In many countries of sub-Saharan Africa there is not even one doctor for every 10,000 patients; in the UK, there are 28.
“There can be a lot of challenges with getting highly trained [medical] people into rural settings,” says Gina Lagomarsino, president and chief executive of Results for Development, a non-profit organisation. “Most want to be in a big city where their kids can go to a good school.”
To read the full article, click here.
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