Up to 8 Million Deaths Occur in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Yearly Due to Poor-Quality Health Care, Says New Report

Up to 8 Million Deaths Occur in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Yearly Due to Poor-Quality Health Care, Says New Report

Poor-quality health care is a problem worldwide 

There’s been good progress in reducing the burden of disease worldwide — but there are still "enormous gaps" in the quality of health care worldwide, according to a new report from the National Academies. In low- and middle-income countries, it’s estimated that between 5.7 million and 8.4 million deaths happen each year due to poor health care. The economic cost of lost productivity: $1.5 trillion a year. The report calls on health officials to embrace digital health tools, look into how people use informal health care providers, and figure out ways to improve the care provided by people without formal training.