Iraq healthcare system: An update
Volume 4 - Issue 3
Aamir Jalal Al-Mosawi1,2*
- 1Advisor doctor and expert Baghdad Medical City and Iraqi Ministry of Health Baghdad, Iraq
- 2Headquarter of Copernicus Scientists, International Panel Baghdad, Iraq
Received: January 22, 2020; Published: January 28, 2020
*Corresponding author: Aamir Jalal Al-Mosawi, Advisor doctor and expert Baghdad Medical City and Iraqi Ministry of Health Baghdad, Headquarter of Copernicus Scientists, International Panel Baghdad, Iraq
DOI: 10.32474/LOJMS.2020.04.000190
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Abstract
Background: Many shortcomings in the healthcare systems that lead to poor quality health services are partly associated with
ignoring accessible data, information, and knowledge. Managing healthcare systems without having adequate knowledge is a logic
obstacle for the delivery of high-quality health care services. We have previously provided a concise description of the Iraq health
care system. The aim of this paper is to provide an updated account on the healthcare system in Iraq.
Materials and methods: The available published and unpublished information about healthcare system in Iraq were identified
and reviewed. The information documents included more than 100 relevant published and unpublished information documents
including journal articles, books, official reports documents of the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Iraqi Ministry of Health. In
addition, relevant useful information available at internet web sites was also examined. The retrieved information were classified
into the following categories: Demographic information relevant to healthcare, information related to the organizational structure
of the healthcare system, information related to national healthcare policies including national healthcare mission, vision, strategic
goals and plans, information related to healthcare system financing, information about healthcare services delivery, information
about the workforce in the Iraq healthcare system, information related to maternal and child health, information about infectious
disease, information about chronic disorders and main causes of morbidity and mortality, information about medical education and
healthcare education, information about professional training and development, and information about leadership in healthcare.
Many relevant healthcare information for three provinces (The Kurdish provinces in the north of Iraq) of the eighteen provinces in
Iraq were not available in English or Arabic.
Results: Iraq has been witnessing a noticeable growth in population from 28,506,000 in 2006 to 35,095,772. However, the
organizational structure of the Iraq health system, the backbone of the Iraq healthcare system witnessed no important change from
the previous description. The declared mission and visions of the Iraqi Ministry of Health have been updated. A priority values for
the Iraqi Ministry of Health has also been claimed. The total number of physicians increased from 15994 in 2007 to 30913 in 2013.
It was also estimated during the year 2013 that 8.5 of children under the age of five years were underweight. During the same
year infant mortality rate was estimated to be 17.9 and mortality rate for children under the age of five years was 22.5. Neonatal
cardiopulmonary disorders were the most common cause of death in children under the age of five years. Infective hepatitis and
tuberculosis were the two most common chronic infectious diseases diagnosed during the year 2013. Cerebro-vascular disorders
were the most common causes of mortality. A large number of reports and documents showed that In Iraq, corruption including
scientific professional, and academic corruption not only resulted in loss of the financial allocations for the health sector, but also
resulted in loss of leadership in healthcare, undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.
Conclusion: The most striking finding in this research was identifying the increasing recognition of the role of scientific,
professional and academic corruption in the deterioration of medical education and healthcare services in Iraq.
Keywords: Healthcare system; Cerebro-vascular disorders; paramedics, dentists, medical laboratory technologists
Abstract|
Introduction|
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