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Niger International Health Insurance / Healthcare System
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 The Republic
of Niger is a country located in west Africa, situated north of
Nigeria. Niger has a population of just over 13 million people and
a land area of 1.26 million square kilometers. Niger's population
is very ruralized, with only 16 percent living in the country's
cities. The capital and largest city in Niger is Niamey, with
other large cities including Maradi, Tahoua, and Zinder. While
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, it has a large
uranium industry and compared to other African nations, it has a
relatively low HIV/AIDS incidence and stabilized government.
Niger's health care system is challenged by extreme poverty and
lack of healthcare infrastructure to meet the demands of its
population. Around one third of the Niger population do not have
adequate access to health care. There are around 300 doctors in
Niger to provide medical services for the population of 13 million
people, whereas this number of doctors would generally serve a
population of 100,000 in developed countries. Niger struggles with
long periods of drought; devastating agricultural crops and
causing widespread food shortages and famine. Malnutrition and
lack of access to water and sanitation both contribute to Niger's
high incidence of communicable diseases, leading to a high rate of
child morbidity in the country.
Niger is however increasing its efforts to improve its health care
system; it has strong ties with foreign aid partners, medical
training institutions, and has set forth government health care
initiatives that aim to increase health care services across the
population. The government has recently made prenatal care free,
has distributed health huts to rural remote areas, and plans to
double its health care personnel by employing 450 locally trained
doctors in the near future. International aid continues to build
Niger's health care services. The United Nations (UN) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) provide food and medical supplies
and offer capacity-building assistance to promote hygiene, water
and sanitation practice in the country. Médecins Sans Frontières,
the UN, and the WHO are heavily involved with malnutrition and
pediatric services in the Tahoua, Maradi and Zinder regions.
Health care services in Niger are provided through hospitals,
private and public health clinics, health huts and therapeutic
feeding centers. Hospitals in Niger are based in urban areas of
Niger including Niamey, Maradi, Tahoua, and Zinder. The National
Hospital of Niamey (Hopital National de Niamey) and the National
Hospital Lamorde (Hopital National De Lamorde) are two of Niger's
largest public hospitals, both of which are based in Niamey. The
National Hospital of Niamey has radiology equipment and provides
services including psychiatry, neurosurgery, and cardiology. The
National Hospital Lamorde is a teaching hospital in Niamey,
providing a range of services including dialysis and urology.
There are a small number of private clinics in Niger which are
mostly located in the capital Niamey. Clinique Gamkalle is a
private medical clinic staffed by French doctors, located in
Niamey. The clinic offers consultations for general medicine,
health screening, gynecology, orthopedics, dermatology, dentistry,
and ambulance services in Niamey.
Health clinics in Niger are staffed by nurses and located in
regional villages throughout the country. Health clinics provide
primary health care and refer patients to urban hospitals in
Niamey for specialized medical care. Essential vaccinations are
generally available in Niger's health clinics for diphtheria,
pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, and yellow fever. Therapeutic
feeding centers have been distributed throughout rural villages of
Niger in order to combat widespread malnutrition and diseases
associated.
In 2004, the Niger government provided funding for the building of
one thousand health huts throughout rural and remote areas of
Niger. Health huts in Niger are typically staffed by a local high
school graduate provided with a few weeks of medical training.
Health huts provide basic primary health care, vaccinations and
childbirth facilities in rural Niger. Prenatal care in Niger is
fully subsidized by the government and pregnant women in Niger
also receive free HIV/AIDS education, an insecticide-treated bed
net, vaccinations and medication to prevent malaria and tetanus,
and micronutrients to reduce risk of pregnancy complications.
Niger suffers from a high incidence of communicable disease
including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, cholera, measles, tetanus,
diphtheria, and pertussis as well as vector borne diseases such as
Malaria. 1 out of every 3 deaths per year in Niger is due to
Malaria. Outbreaks of cholera have been reported in Niger,
affecting areas close to the Nigeria borders including Diffa,
Zinder, and Maradi. In 2010, a cholera outbreak caused 39 people
deaths.
HIV/AIDS is highly prevalent in Niger, however it is relatively
low in comparison to other developing countries in Africa. Lack of
HIV testing centers, and low education and awareness contribute to
low numbers of HIV screening across the population. HIV/AIDS in
Niger is transmitted predominantly through commercial sex, mother
to child transmission, and blood transfusion. Women are generally
at a higher risk of getting HIV/AIDS than men in Niger.
International aid projects and government health care initiatives
are planning to increase condom use and HIV/AIDS education across
the community.
Kidnappings and other terrorist related activities have occurred
in Niger, often they are targeted at westerners. Kidnappings in
Niger have taken place throughout the country including the
capital Niamey, Arlit, and Tahoua. It is highly important that
expats and travelers to Niger monitor the media for information
relating to terrorist attacks in Niger. Expats and travelers to
Niger should avoid walking alone and after dark to reduce the risk
of theft, kidnapping, or any other offensive attack.
A comprehensive health insurance plan is highly recommended for
expats and travelers to Niger. Developing countries such as Niger
can not provide the level of health care that may be required in
the event of a serious accident or medical illness. Patients
requiring a higher level of care must travel to Europe, Nigeria,
or Kenya, where a wider range of health care services are
available. For this reason it is very important to ensure that
your insurance policy covers emergency medical evacuation and
transportation, as these services can be highly expensive.
Emergency protocols should be adopted by residents during the
event of an accident, serious illness or criminal offense. The
emergency contact number for police services in Niger is 1-7, or
fire brigade service in Niger is 1-8. Emergency ambulance services
in Niger are very limited. For emergency services in Niamey,
expats and travelers can contact the Clinique Gamkalle on
73-20-33.
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Niger International Health Insurance |
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At Globalsurance we can offer you a wide variety of international
health insurance plans from world leading insurers. For more
information about Niger medical insurance plans, or to receive a
free Niger International Health Insurance Quote, please contact
one of our dedicated advisers today.
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