Chad: Chad Health Profile

In 1987 Chad had 4 hospitals, 44 smaller health centers, 1 UNICEF clinic, and 239 other clinics—half under religious auspices. A lot of regional hospitals were damaged or destroyed in fighting,and health services barely existed in 1987. Public health care expenditures were estimated at 2.9% of GDP. As of 2004, it was estimated that there were fewer than 3 physicians, 15 nurses, and 2 midwives per 100,000 people.

All medicine, antibiotic, and vaccine imports must be authorized by the Ministry of Health. The majority common diseases are schistosomiasis, leprosy, malaria, spinal meningitis, tuberculosis, and yaws, inclunding malnutrition. Immunization rates in 1999 were very low for children up to one year of age: diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, 21 %, and measles, 30 %. In 2000, 27 % of the people had access to safe drinking water and 29 % had adequate sanitation.

In June 2011, the United Nations People Fund released a statement on The National of the World's Midwifery. It contained new data on the midwifery workforce and policies relating to newborn and maternal mortality for 58 nations. The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Chad is 1200. This is compared with 1065.2 in 2008 and 891 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate, per 1,000 births is 209 and the neonatal mortality as a % of under 5's mortality is 22. The aim of this statement is to highlight ways in which the Millennium Development Goals can be completed, particularly Goal 4 – reduce child mortality and Goal 5 – improve maternal death. In Chad the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 0.4 and the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women 1 in 14.

As of 2000, only 4 % of married women (ages 15 to 49) used any form of contraception. According to a 2013 UNICEF statement, 44% of women in Chad had undergone female genital mutilation.

The average life expectancy in 2005 was estimated at 47.18 years.