Chile

Chile is located on the west coast of South America, with a western border along the Pacific Ocean. The high ridge of the Andes separates it from Argentina on its east. Chile is 4,630 kilometers long—the longest border of any country in the world—and is only 430 kilometers across at its widest point. The northern region is dominated by the Atacama Desert, and its lower tip is close to the Antarctic Circle. After many years of political upheaval, Chile is coming into its own as a stable, democratic country, offering the opportunities of a better life to its substantial population.

Chile is home to 16.1 million and growth is slow at 0.94 percent annually. The birth rate is 15.23 per 1,000 people and the death rate is 5.81 per 1,000; the migration rate is stagnant at 0 migrants per 1,000 people. The urbanization rate is 87 percent and continues to grow at about 2 percent annually, although the population density remains fairly low at 22 people per square kilometer.

Chile has a mature market economy with a strong agricultural and manufacturing sector. About 8 percent of the country's 6.3 million workers are unemployed. Per capita income is $4,910 a year, with 18 percent of Chileans living below the poverty line. Extreme poverty is low, with less than 2 percent living on $1 a day.

Life expectancy at birth is currently 73.49 years for males and 80.21 years for females; healthy life expectancy is 65 for men and 70 for women. Infant mortality is low at 8.58 deaths per 1,000 live births. Eight of every 1,000 children die before the age of 5. Maternal mortality is 31 deaths per 100,000 live births. Ninety-five percent of women receive prenatal care, and 100 percent of births are monitored by trained attendants.

Chile has made great strides in social health and welfare in recent years, although pockets of poverty and isolation remain. The government has launched the Chile Solidario program aimed at providing assistance to the country's poorest households. In rural areas, only 59 percent of the population have access to clean drinking water and only 64 percent have sanitary facilities, compared to 95 percent of the urban population.

With the establishment of a strong epidemiological surveillance program, Chile has managed to eradicate or limit several major infectious diseases. Malaria, plague, dengue fever, and schistosomiasis have been [Page 398]eliminated. There has not been a documented case of cholera since 1998, and typhoid is in decline. However, hantavirus is prevalent in rural regions, and meningococcal infections remain endemic in some areas.

Most Chileans suffer the common problems of an industrialized nation: Heart disease and cancer are the major causes of death. There are an estimated 500,000 people with diabetes, and that number is expected to grow to over 1 million by 2030. With such a high rate of urbanization, accidents and violence are frequent and deadly. The rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is 0.3 percent, with about 26,000 people living with the virus in 2003.

According to the World Health Organization, the government spends approximately $137 per capita on healthcare each year. In 2000, there were 20 “high complexity” hospitals, 196 general hospitals, 526 primary care clinics, and 1,840 rural health posts—about one healthcare facility per 28,500 people. There were 17,250 physicians and 10,000 nurses working within the country in 2003. In recent years, the ministry of health has focused on women and children, increasing the immunization program, and improving cancer screening.

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