Health in Benin

Benin faces a number of population health challenges. Apart from modern medicine, traditional medicine plays a big role too.[1]

The Human Rights Measurement Initiative[2] finds that Benin is fulfilling 59.2% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.[3] When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Benin achieves 77.5% of what is expected based on its current income.[4] In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves 81.5% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. [5] Benin falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 18.5% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.[6]


Water supply and sanitation
Further information: Water supply and sanitation in Benin

According to the Joint Monitoring Program of the World Health Organization and UNICEF, three quarters of the Beninese population had access to an improved water source in 2008, whereas 12% had access to improved sanitation. The share rose from 63% concerning water and from 5% concerning sanitation in 1990. Coverage in urban areas is considerably higher than in rural areas.[7]

Access to Water and Sanitation in Benin (2008)[7]
Urban
(41% of the population)		 Rural
(59% of the population)		 Total
Water Improved water source 84% 69% 75%
Piped on premises 26% 2% 12%
Sanitation Improved sanitation 24% 4% 12%

Wastewater treatment is extremely rare in Benin. In most cases, wastewater is not disposed appropriately. According to a 2001 national health survey, in the cities of Cotonou, Parakou and Porto-Novo, two out of 1,000 households dispose their wastewater in a correct way, while most of them discharge it directly into the nature or drains. This leads to pollution and can cause water-borne diseases like malaria and typhoid fever.[8]

Health status

Life expectancy

The 2014 CIA estimated average life expectancy in Benin was 61.07 years.[9]

Infectious diseases

On 16 March 2020, the first COVID-19 case in the country was confirmed in Porto-Novo.[10]

Maternal and child healthcare

The 2011 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Benin is 410. This is compared with 468.9 in 2008 and 587.6 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate, per 1,000 births is 121 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5's mortality is 27. In Benin the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 4 and the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women is 1 in 43.[11]

According to a 2013 UNICEF report, 13% of women had undergone female genital mutilation.[12]

See also

References
  1. Karim Okanla. "Science-based clinic or witch doctor?". D+C,development and cooperation. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  2. "Human Rights Measurement Initiative – The first global initiative to track the human rights performance of countries". humanrightsmeasurement.org. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  3. "Benin - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  4. "Benin - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  5. "Benin - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  6. "Benin - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  7. World Health Organization; UNICEF. "Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water. 2010 Update" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-24. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
    Based on:
    • Enquête démographique et de santé. 2003.
    • Enquête socio-anthropologique sur la fécondité et la mortalité infantile et maternelle. 2003.
    • Questionnaire des indicateurs de base du bien-être. 2003.
    • Recencement général de la population et des habitations. 2002.
    • Bénin (2001). Enquête Démographique et de Santé.
    • Bénin. Ministère du plan, de la restructuration economique et de la promotion de l'emploi. (1996). Demographic and Health Survey., p. 18
    • 1992 Census as recorded in Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000. Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Questionnaire. 1999.
  8. Bénin (2001). Enquête Démographique et de Santé (in French)., cited in: "0,1% des ménages béninois accèdent aux équipements d'assainissement". Panapress. 2004-11-22. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  9. "CIA - The World Factbook Life Expectancy". Cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2014-06-23.
  10. "More African countries confirm first coronavirus cases as Jack Ma pledges aid". Reuters. 2020-03-22. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  11. "The State Of The World's Midwifery". United Nations Population Fund. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  12. UNICEF 2013 Archived 2015-04-05 at the Wayback Machine, p. 27.
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