Health System

As a socialist country, Algeria has a public health care system, which is accessible and free of charge to all citizens of Algeria[1], this system is entirely financed by the Algerian government.[2] Algerian policies favors preventive health care and clinics over hospitals notably because of its young population. In keeping with this policy, the government maintains an intensive immunization programme and a policy which allows Algerian citizens health care for Hospitalisations, medicines and outpatient care free to all citizens of Algeria.

The Healthcare Network:

When Algeria gained its independence from France in 1962, there were only around 300 doctors across the whole country and no proper system of healthcare.[3]
Over the next few decades, great progress was made in building up the health sector, with the training of doctors and the creation of many health facilities. Today, Algeria has an established network of hospitals (including university hospitals), clinics, medical centres and small health units or dispensaries. While equipment and medicines may not always be the latest available, staffing levels are high and the country has one of the best healthcare systems in Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Algeria had nearly 41,000 doctors and 66,000 nurses and midwives working in its health sector between 2000-2010.

Health Spendings:

Health expenditure has been increasing in recent years, with the government spending over 10% of its overall budget on healthcare (WHO 2008).Free medical care was introduced in the 1970s. This is now available to children and the elderly and those on low incomes.The country’s healthcare network is in need of modernisation, new investment and improvements in organisation and administration. Services in rural and remote areas are also generally much poorer.

Health and Inequalities:

47% of 1.541 communes in the country have a relatively favorable situation (Class III), those in the North represent nearly 72% of the 724 communes of these categories, while southern regions they only account for 2%.  There are large regional differences at the expense of municipalities in the Highlands and South, in fact, the number of 168 disadvantaged communes (class I), 11% are found in the northern regions and 53% in Highlands regions and 36% in the South.
‘Poor country’ diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera still remain a high risk in Algeria. These diseases are easily caught in overcrowded conditions, where clean water and hygiene remain a problem. In 2009, 21,700 cases of tuberculosis were reported (WHO). With an influx of rural migrants into the towns and cities, a lack of housing has led to many Algerians living in crowded, poorly-constructed and unsanitary conditions. The percentage of the population with access to clean water is 86% (WHO 2015 data).
However, with oil bringing wealth to sections of society, illnesses common in rich countries, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, are growing. Currently, there are not enough hospitals which specialise in treating diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Around 8% of the population is believed to suffer from diabetes and more children in Algeria are overweight than underweight.[3]

Government's Action for Health:

Because of the growth in the Algerian economy, there are more and more investment in the field of health, operating budget and equipment of the sector almost quadrupled between 2000 and 2009. [4]
The share allocated to preventive programs and activities of reproductive health, including activities such as obstetrics, purchase antiretroviral drugs and oral contraceptives, represents 15% of operating budget [5]. In fact, the request of the population evolved and looks for a better health coverage, which is not the case actually because it requires a good management of all services and at every level, and this is the big challenge for the country.

Public Health System and Social Security:

The health system is structured around public sector and private sector. The Ministry of Health, Population and Hospital Reform (MSPRH) manages the hospital care and public health and controls the conditions of the private sector.
The public hospital facilities consist of hospitals, Specialized Hospital Establishments (EHS), and university hospital (CHU) totaling approximately 54,000 beds. Infrastructure consultations, care and prevention include polyclinics, health centers and treatment rooms, the medico-social centers, the unit testing and monitoring school health, preventive medicine units in academia, centers blood transfusion and pharmacies.[4]
Currently, coverage of hospital beds is at 1.88 per 1000 inhabitants[6]. It should be noted also the opening of the health sector to private clinics since 1988 (Decree 88-204). We are witnessing a multiplication of private clinics, surgeries and radiological centers throughout Algeria. In terms of organization, until 2007, the national public health system was based on the sanitary sector, which included extra hospitals (clinics, health centers and treatment rooms) which gravitated around structure of hospitalization covering a given geographical area.
The social security system in Algeria is based over a single scheme, which covers substantially all of the people against social risks, grouped into five branches. Medicare is part of the branch of social insurance. It is based on insurance system professional basis, financed by contributions of employees and employers. Are recipients of Medicare: the employed, self-employed, older workers whose social security benefits, specific groups (students, disabled, poor receiving welfare state, apprentices, etc.) and their beneficiaries. System management is handled by two organizations: the National Social Insurance Fund for Employees (CNAS) and the National Social Security Fund unsalaried (CASNOS). Both organizations have boards of directors and are under supervision of the Ministry of Social Security. Medicare covers about 9/10th of the population (insured and beneficiaries).
Studies carried out by the WHO and Regional Conference “Bioethics Issues for Women: Ethics of Reproductive Health – Social and Political Conditions in Arab Countries” showed the following deficiencies and some progress as:

An insufficient quality service, since the majority of structures does not have a personal reception, this function is assumed by the service staff in 67% of cases;
The staff is in charge of several activities including in the context of follow up of children, which made family planning a part-time activity in 77% of cases;
Less than 10% of structures organize activities of teaching and information/communication and have consulting service: the initiative of information is left to personnel during the consultation.

[1] Lamri, Larbi; Gripiotis, Erofile; Ferrario, Alessandra (2014-02-24). "Diabetes in Algeria and challenges for health policy: a literature review of prevalence, cost, management and outcomes of diabetes and its complications". Globalization and Health.
[2]"THE PROBLEMS OF FUNDING THE HEALTH SYSTEM IN ALGERIA". www.academia.edu. [3] Our Africa: Algeria, Poverty and Healthcare, January 2015
[4] Algerian Health Ministry
[5] Regional Conference “Bioethics Issues for Women: Ethics of Reproductive Health – Social and Political Conditions in Arab Countries”
[6] World Health Organization: Algeria, country profile

Main Data On the Health Situation

source: Data for Africa