Health in Gabon


Gabon has one of the highest urbanization rates in Africa with1 in 5 of its citizens living in the urban areas. 3% of its GDP accounts for its total health expenditure.[1][2] The life expectancy at birth is 66 years[3] and a half of its population is aged under 20.[2] The most prevalent mortality causing diseases in Gabon in 2019 were mainly cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, respiratory infections and HIV/AIDS, as compared to Malaria, respiratory infections and maternal/neonatal disorders which were the highest causes of mortality in the nineties.[4]

Even though the HIV/AIDS prevalence in Gabon is estimated to be down to 3.0% in 2021[5] from 5.9% in 2007[6] in the adult population (ages 15–49), HIV/AIDS remains a public health challenge in Gabon. HIV/AIDS contributes to 44.21% of total deaths of females in the reproductive age (15-49) and accounts for 15.47% deaths in females of all age groups.[4]

As of 2021, about 47,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS.[1] The UNAIDS 2025 target for HIV/AIDS is for 95% of persons living with HIV to know their HIV status, 95% of those who know their status are to have started with treatments while 95% of those on treatment should have suppressed viral loads.[7] In Gabon 73% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) know their HIV status, 54% are on antiretroviral treatment while there is an absence of data on the percentage of PLHIV with viral load suppression.[1]


HIV Epidemiology


Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of HIV in the world.[8] Lesotho has the highest death rates(33.32%) due to HIV/AIDS followed closely by Eswatini(28.92%), Equatorial guinea(27.77%) and South Africa(27.53%).[4] The burden of disease of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa is the highest in the world as it is the number one cause of death of people in the reproductive age bracket(15-49). [4] Globally, the number of people living with HIV has increased over the span of two decades, however deaths secondary to HIV have reduced significantly.[9]

Health indicators


Measure of Health indicators in Gabon from 1990 to 2021
YEAR NMR(/1000 live births)U5MR(/1000 live births)MMR(/100,000 live births) stillbirth rate
1990 31 92 380
2000 2884249 18
2021 1940227 14
SDG3 2030

targets

 12 25 70 12

[10][11][12]

Maternal and child healthcare

Gabon has come a long way in improving its maternal and neonatal healthcare services and thus in reducing the number of deaths from maternal and infant related diseases, however maternal mortality ratio and U5MR is still quite high. The maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 births for Gabon is 227. This is comparable with the world average of 223 per 100,000 livebirths.[12] Gabon's U5MR per 1,000 livebirths is 40, also almost at the same level as the global average of 38 deaths per 1000 livebirths.[10] Neonatal mortality rate in Gabon is 19.[10] In Gabon the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 12 and the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women is 1 in 110.[11]

Universal Health Coverage(UHC)

This encompasses the availability of basic health care services to all people of a country with the aim of limiting out of pocket payments for health services thereby protecting people from financial ruin. Universal health coverage explores basic ethical principles that guide what services are provided with consideration to:

  1. Health maximization at the least possible cost.
  2. Giving priority to the 'worse-off' both from a health prospect and a health outcome perspective.
  3. Financial risk protection of the population.[13]

UHC in Gabon

A 10% levy on the revenues of mobile phone companies and on mobile phone usage, introduced by Gabon's government in 2008, has helped to more than double the funds for a health insurance program that now covers 99% of the equatorial nation's poor, giving them access to critical health services such as care during pregnancy. This levy is one of a set of measures that increased enrolment in health insurance plans in Gabon to 45% of the population in 2012 from less than 20% in 2007.[14]

Right to Health

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative[15] finds that Gabon is fulfilling 62.2% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.[16] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Gabon achieves 84.7% of what is expected based on its current income.[16] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 78.1% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.[16] Gabon falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 23.9% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.[16]

Hospitals

There were 542 medical facilities in Gabon in 2019. Government and other notable hospitals are listed below.[17]

Hospitals in Gabon
Name Location Type facility Ref
George Rawiri Hospitalier RegionalLambaréné, Moyen-Ogooué ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Koulamoutou Centre Hospitalier UrbainKoulamoutou, Ogooué-Lolo ProvinceCentre Hospitalier Urbain[17]
Paul Moukambi Hospitalier RegionalKoulamoutou, Ogooué-Lolo ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Mouila Hospitalier RegionalMouila, Ngounié ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Bongolo HospitalLébamba, Ngounié ProvinceHospital[18]
Makokou Hospitalier RegionalMakokou, Ogooué-Ivindo ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Agondje Centre Hospitalier UniversitaireLibreville/Owendo, Estuaire ProvinceUniversity Hospital[17]
Egypto Gabonaise Hopital CooperationLibreville/Owendo, Estuaire ProvinceHôpital Coopération[17]
Libreville Centre Hospitalier UniversitaireLibreville/Owendo, Estuaire ProvinceUniversity Hospital[17][18]
Sino Gabonaise Hopital Cooperation LibrevilleLibreville/Owendo, Estuaire ProvinceHôpital Coopération[17]
Hôpital d’Instruction des Armées Omar Bongo OndimbaLibreville/Owendo, Estuaire ProvinceMilitary Hospital[18]
Port Gentil Centre Hospitalier RegionalPort Gentil, Ogooué-Maritime ProvinceRegional Hospital[17][18]
Port Gentil Hospitalier RegionalPort Gentil, Ogooué-Maritime ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Oyem Hospitalier RegionalOyem, Woleu-Ntem ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Benjamin Ngoubou Hospitalier RegionalTchibanga, Nyanga ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Tchibanga Hospitalier RegionalTchibanga, Nyanga ProvinceRegional Hospital[17]
Amissa Bongo Hospitalier RegionalFranceville, Haut-Ogooué ProvinceRegional Hospital[17][18]
Sino Gabonaise Hopital Cooperation MpassaFranceville, Haut-Ogooué ProvinceHôpital Coopération[17]
Hôpital Albert SchweitzerLambaréné, Moyen-Ogooué ProvincePrivate hospital[18]


References
  1. "HIV country profiles: Gabon". WHO, 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  2. "The world bank in Gabon: overview". worldbank.org. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  3. "Gabon". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  4. "GBD COMPARE 2019". vizhub.healthdata.org. Institute of health metrics and evaluation. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  5. "Prevalence of HIV, total(% of population ages 15-49) in Gabon)". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  6. "HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate". Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  7. Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, service delivery and monitoring: recommendations for a public health approach. World Health organisation, Geneva, 2021. ISBN 978-92-4-003159-3.
  8. "Ranking of countries with the highest prevalence of HIV in 2020 and 2022". Statistica. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  9. "Ranking of countries with the highest prevalence of HIV in 2020 and 2022". Statistica. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  10. United Nations Children’s Fund (April 2023). The State of the World’s Children 2023: For every child, vaccination. UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, Italy. p. 226. ISBN 978-92-806-5442-4.
  11. "The State Of The World's Midwifery". United Nations Population Fund. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  12. DATA, UNICEF. "Trends in estimates of maternal mortality ratio(MMR),maternal deaths and lifetime risk of maternal death, 2000-2020". Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  13. "Epidemiology and demography data relevant for health priorities - Global Burden of Disease". Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  14. "The road to universal health coverage: a case study on Gabon". WHO AFRICA. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  15. "Human Rights Measurement Initiative – The first global initiative to track the human rights performance of countries". humanrightsmeasurement.org. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  16. "Gabon - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  17. "A spatial database of health facilities managed by the public health sector in sub-Saharan Africa". World Health Organization. February 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  18. "Hospitals and Clinics in Gabon" (PDF). US Embassy, Gabon. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
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