Why are Diseases Most Common in Low Income Countries?

If you travel around the world and get sick, odds are you’ll find that you have a much better chance of survival in poor countries. In fact, in many poor countries, you are far more likely to survive than in your own country, even if you live in a first-world nation. But why are diseases most common in low-income countries?

Most people who come down with a cold go to the doctor and get prescribed antibiotics, take them and they feel better. Seems pretty straightforward, right? Not exactly. To understand why many people in low-income countries don’t even go to the doctor (let alone take the medicine), we need to explore some key issues in health economics.

Diseases Most Common in Low-Income Countries

It’s a common misconception that diseases are more common in low-income countries because of unsanitary conditions and poor nutrition. While these factors can play a part, they’re not the only reason why diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis are so prevalent in these regions.

The truth is that the most prevalent diseases in low-income countries have been around for centuries, but they’ve only become more lethal due to poor medical care and lack of access to treatment options. If someone contracts one of these diseases in a low-income country, they may not have access to antibiotics or vaccines because they don’t have the money or resources to pay for them which means they’ll either die from an infection or pass it along to other people who aren’t able either.

Another reason why diseases are so common in low-income countries is that there is no official government structure for healthcare within these areas (or even if there is one). This means that instead of having a doctor come out from one hospital every day to check on each person who gets sick, local doctors will simply prescribe over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen which aren’t always effective against serious illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis.