Ecuador Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Health=== {{Main|Health in Ecuador}} [[File:HOSPITAL DE CALDERÓN 4 MAV (32808969935).jpg|thumb|Hospital Docente de Calderón, in Quito]] The current structure of the Ecuadorian public health care system dates back to 1967.<ref>Larrea, Julio. "25 Años de Vida Institucional", Imprenta del Ministerio de Salud Publica, Quito 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msp.gob.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99:historia-del-ministerio-de-salud-publica&catid=68:historia&Itemid=61 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317184901/http://www.msp.gob.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99:historia-del-ministerio-de-salud-publica&catid=68:historia&Itemid=61 |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 March 2012 |title=History of the Ministry of Public Health |publisher=Msp.gob.ec |access-date=24 February 2012 }}</ref> The Ministry of the Public Health (Ministerio de Salud Pública del Ecuador) is the responsible entity of the regulation and creation of the public health policies and health care plans. The Minister of Public Health is appointed directly by the President of the Republic. The philosophy of the Ministry of Public Health is the social support and service to the most vulnerable population,<ref name=health>{{cite web |url=http://www.msp.gob.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=55 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005042709/http://www.msp.gob.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=55 |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 October 2010 |title=Program of the Ministry of Public Health – Ecuador |publisher=Msp.gob.ec |access-date=24 February 2012 }}</ref> and its main plan of action lies around communitarian health and preventive medicine.<ref name=health/> Many American medical groups often conduct [[medical mission]]s away from the big cities to provide medical health to poor communities. The public healthcare system allows patients to be treated without an appointment in public general hospitals by general practitioners and specialists in the outpatient clinic (''Consulta Externa'') at no cost. This is done in the four basic specialties of pediatric, gynecology, clinic medicine, and surgery.<ref name=healths>{{cite web |url=http://www.msp.gob.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63:mi-hospital-modelo&catid=41 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206032316/http://www.msp.gob.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63:mi-hospital-modelo&catid=41 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 December 2010 |title=Public health care network – Ministry of Public Health – Ecuador |publisher=Msp.gob.ec |access-date=24 February 2012 }}</ref> There are also public hospitals specialized to treat chronic diseases, target a particular group of the population, or provide better treatment in some medical specialties. Although well-equipped general hospitals are found in the major cities or capitals of provinces, there are basic hospitals in the smaller towns and [[canton (country subdivision)|canton]] cities for family care consultation and treatments in pediatrics, gynecology, clinical medicine, and surgery.<ref name=healths/> Community health care centers (Centros de Salud) are found inside metropolitan areas of cities and in rural areas. These are day hospitals that provide treatment to patients whose hospitalization is under 24 hours.<ref name=healths/> The doctors assigned to rural communities, where the Amerindian population can be substantial, have small clinics under their responsibility for the treatment of patients in the same fashion as the day hospitals in the major cities. The treatment in this case respects the culture of the community.<ref name=healths/> The public healthcare system should not be confused with the Ecuadorian Social Security healthcare service, which is dedicated to individuals with formal employment and who are affiliated obligatorily through their employers. Citizens with no formal employment may still contribute to the social security system voluntarily and have access to the medical services rendered by the social security system. The Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS) has several major hospitals and medical sub-centers under its administration across the nation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iess.gob.ec/site.php?content=1669-servicios |title=Medical Services – Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social |publisher=Iess.gob.ec |date=19 February 2010 |access-date=24 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221154355/http://www.iess.gob.ec/site.php?content=1669-servicios |archive-date=21 February 2012 }}</ref> Ecuador currently ranks 20, in most [[World Health Organization ranking of health systems|efficient health care countries]], compared to 111 back in the year 2000.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/visual-data/best-and-worst/most-efficient-health-care-countries | work=Bloomberg | title=Most Efficient Health Care: Countries – Bloomberg Best (and Worst) | access-date=6 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906224923/http://www.bloomberg.com/visual-data/best-and-worst/most-efficient-health-care-countries | archive-date=6 September 2014 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Ecuadorians have a life expectancy of 77.1 years.<ref>{{cite web|publisher = CIA|work = The World Factbook|title = Country Comparison: Life Expectancy at Birth|url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/fields/355rank.html|access-date = 18 July 2019|archive-date = 16 June 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190616191031/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/fields/355rank.html|url-status = dead}}</ref> The infant mortality rate is 13 per 1,000 live births,<ref name=free/> a major improvement from approximately 76 in the early 1980s and 140 in 1950.<ref name=cs>{{csref |country=ecuador |section=Labor |author=Rex A. Hudson }}</ref> 23% of children under five are chronically malnourished.<ref name=free/> Population in some rural areas have no access to potable water, and its supply is provided by mean of water tankers. There are 686 malaria cases per 100,000 people.<ref name="fightingdiseases.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.fightingdiseases.org/main/country.php?country_id=53 |title=Ecuador |website=Campaign for Fighting Diseases |access-date=4 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026002741/http://www.fightingdiseases.org/main/country.php?country_id=53 |archive-date=26 October 2007 }}</ref> Basic health care, including doctor's visits, basic surgeries, and basic medications, has been provided free since 2008.<ref name=free>{{cite web|author=Olsont, David|url=http://www.pe.com/reports/2009/ecuador/stories/PE_News_Local_S_ecuador_system20.15cd6e8.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225065825/http://www.pe.com/reports/2009/ecuador/stories/PE_News_Local_S_ecuador_system20.15cd6e8.html |archive-date=25 December 2010 |title=Still in its infancy, Ecuador's free health care has growing pains | Special Reports |publisher=PE.com |date=19 September 2009 |access-date=26 June 2010}}</ref> However, some public hospitals are in poor condition and often lack necessary supplies to attend the high demand of patients. Private hospitals and clinics are well equipped but still expensive for the majority of the population. Between 2008 and 2016, new public hospitals have been built. In 2008, the government introduced universal and compulsory social security coverage. In 2015, corruption remains a problem. Overbilling is recorded in 20% of public establishments and in 80% of private establishments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.medelu.org/La-dificil-construccion-de-la |date=2018 |title=La difícil construcción de la sanidad pública en Ecuador|last=Ramirez|first=Loïc|website=Mémoire des luttes|language=fr|access-date=28 June 2019|archive-date=15 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515225613/http://www.medelu.org/La-dificil-construccion-de-la|url-status=live}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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