A Glimpse Into Radiology in the Developing World in Africa

They said access to care is limited to people who can pay out of pocket, since very few Nigerians have insurance. The annual income of most people is about $50 per month and the cost of an MRI is about $200, so MRI is often used as a last resort or is reserved only for people who have higher incomes. The cost for surgery is sometimes lower than CT or MRI, so exploratory surgery is still used as a less expensive option. Point-of-care ultrasound is widely available and is the primary imaging modality available, they said.

Access to hospitals is also an issue, as people from rural areas may take several days to get to a city hospital. This, combined with the high cost of care that makes many people come to hospitals only as a last resort, leads to poor outcomes with many diseases. They said this is most pronounced in cases of stoke and coronary disease. Ambulance and paramedic services to the hospitals also are nonexistent. 

Radiologists make about $2,000 a month and the cost of a good apartment is about $1,000 per year, they said. The cost of living in Nigeria is also pretty low, compared to Europe and the U.S., so they said doctors can live pretty well there.

In Africa, they said Egypt and South Africa are the two main hubs of education and advanced imaging and healthcare. In central Africa, Kenya and Ghana are the two most advanced in terms of access to care and advanced imaging capabilities, they said.

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