Health & Education

Over the past five decades Algeria has made significant progress in the provision of health care to its citizens and tackling communicable diseases. Although basic health indicators have improved and living standards have risen, the country has witnessed an increase in chronic diseases, a common occurrence in a number of emerging markets, and these now represent the main burden on the health care system. While many countries in the region struggle to finance health infrastructure and services, Algeria – on the back of years of high oil revenues – has been able to divert significant funds into the expansion of clinics, hospitals and preventative care in a bid to improve overall health indicators. Algeria continues to pursue its ambitions to upgrade the overall quality of education nationwide. Although results are slow to come by, the sector has made some headway over the years with school enrolment rates at the primary and secondary levels exceeding 97% and illiteracy rates dropping to 14% in 2014, down from 22% in 2008. This comes on the back of sustained efforts on behalf of the government to boost schooling capacities through enhanced infrastructure, teacher training, aligning offerings with the needs of the job market, as well as reaching out and raising awareness on the importance of education in disadvantaged areas. This chapter contains interviews with Abdelmalek Boudiaf, Minister of Health; Habib Bennaceur, ‎North West Africa President, AstraZeneca; and Mohamed Mebarki, Minister of Training and Professional Education.