|
In 1993, a reform transformed the public health care funding by shifting the subsidy from providers to users. In 2002, Colombia had over 58,700 physicians, 23,900 nurses, and 33,900 dentists, which accounted for 1.35 physicians, 0.55 nurses, and 0.78 dentists per 1,000 population. This system has helped to widen population coverage by 21 percent before 1993, to 56 percent in 2004, and 66 percent in 2005. Although many people are benefiting from this new system, the poor and lower classes continue to suffer high mortality rates.
AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death among the working population, with numbers of those infected ranging from 160,000 to 310,000. Currently,the number of AIDS and Hepatitis B cases has been on the rise, with few people receiving care for the diseases.
|
