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Yemen Expat Health Insurance

The Middle Eastern country of Yemen lies on the Arabian Peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia, Oman and the Red Sea. In 1918 the northern part of the country gained independence from the Ottoman Empire; the southern part of the country became independent from the United Kingdom in 1967, and the country unified in 1990. Lying at the intersection of several cultures in various parts of Africa, Arabia, Persia and the near East, Yemen’s rich history of art, architecture, cuisine and music bear the marks of these various influences. Yemen is among the poorest Arab countries, mostly due to its limited oil reserves compared to its neighbours. Despite its poverty and potential for civil unrest, Yemen boasts four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Shibam, Sana’a, Zabid and the Socotra Archipelago.

Yemen Healthcare System

Yemen ranks among the least developed countries in the world, and the nation’s health indices reflect this. Life expectancy in Yemen is 63 years from birth for males, and 67 years for females. About 5.6 percent of GDP is spent on health care in Yemen, or US$ 142 per capita annually. This represents just a fraction of the Eastern Mediterranean average. Only 28 percent of total health care expenditure comes from government spending. Most of private health care spending comes from out of pocket expenditure. Local private Yemen health insurance represents just 1.3 percent of private health care spending in Yemen.

Yemen’s public health care system is operated by the Ministry of Public Health and Population, but its health care workforce is seriously understaffed, even by the low standards of the region. There are just 3.0 doctors and 6.6 nurses and midwives per 10,000 people. Uneven training opportunities and a “brain drain” are the biggest negative influences on health care worker numbers. While medical education is provided free to students, it is of low quality, and graduates lack basic skills. Furthermore, resources and population are widely dispersed, limiting the delivery of care and shortages of medicine are common.

Health sector reform in Yemen was begun in 1998, but improvements have been uneven. The main aim of the reform movement is to improve decentralisation of the health care system to reach more remote parts of Yemen.

Public infrastructure problems mean that access to improved drinking water is limited to only about 60 percent of Yemenis. This figure has actually declined since 1990, with a marked drop in access to clean drinking water among urban Yemenis. On the other hand, access to improved sanitation facilities has steadily improved in Yemen, and is near universal for urban residents, although less than one third or rural Yemenis have access to improved sanitation. In addition, about one third of Yemenis are undernourished.

Most morbidity and mortality in Yemen comes from high rates of communicable disease. Perhaps due to its dry climate, tuberculosis affects just 85 of every 100,000 Yemenis, less than half of the global average. But malaria tops the mortality tables in Yemen, and is particularly dangerous for children.

Non-communicable diseases are increasingly bearing a larger proportion of Yemeni morbidity and mortality. Some of this correlates with smoking and modern diet associated with the “diseases of affluence” such as diabetes, cancer and cardiopulmonary disease.

Yemen Travel Advice

Despite Yemen’s limited health care personnel and antenatal, birth and infant care, maternal mortality rates are below the global average, with 210 per 100,000 live births. By global comparison, this would seem to be incongruous with Yemeni utilisation of care: only 14 percent of pregnant women have a minimum number of antenatal visits to a physician, and just 36 percent of births are attended by skilled health care personnel. Similarly, immunisation rates for infants are very low – just 58 percent of Yemenis have a measles immunisation before their first birthday, yet infant mortality rates are also far below the regional average with 66 per 1,000 live births. The Yemeni infant mortality rate has plummeted over the past two decades.

The WHO has outlined a number of health challenges in Yemen over the next five years. These include: reducing infant mortality, reducing disease, promoting healthy lifestyles and a reduction in tobacco and qat use, and improving the social determinants of health.

Despite its poverty and political unrest, Yemen has much to offer the tourist or business traveller. However, travel to Yemen does have risks. Before travelling, it is advisable to update routine vaccinations, including typhoid. Anti-malarial drugs should be brought from your home country and may be taken on a preventative basis. Wearing long-sleeved clothing, using insect repellent and sleeping under mosquito nets is also recommended against malaria and other insect borne diseases in the region such as leishmaniasis and West Nile virus.

Yemen’s public infrastructure is quite underdeveloped and road accidents are much more common than in other parts of the region. Yemeni traffic drives on the right; be sure to observe this and all other traffic rules and always wear a safety belt.

In Yemen, as with any overseas destination, the top traveller’s health complaint is diarrhoea. Avoid raw and undercooked foods and only drink bottled water. Over the counter medication brought from your home country can be taken in acute cases, although persistent symptoms including nausea and vomiting should be treated by a physician.

Yemen Expat Health Insurance

In spite of its many attractions, Yemen is a very poor and underdeveloped country with limited health care options. Even basic care may not be available in more remote areas, and serious medical problems will probably require evacuation by air out of Yemen. Expat health insurance is highly recommended, as it can cover the costs associated with medical evacuations and international hospital bills. War and Terrorism insurance is another possibility, as it will cover against terrorism and civil unrest in Yemen.

Given the wide range of international health care options available, having a trusted advisor assist in selecting the right plan for you is invaluable. Global Health Insurance boasts a dedicated experienced team of representatives available to ensure that you, your family, your company or your tour group get the care you need should the unthinkable happen, globally or in Yemen. Expat health insurance plans we work with can offer a range of coverage options to truly personalize your coverage. Contact Global Health Insurance today for more information.