Maldives

Due to the geography of the Maldives - the country consists of over 1200 islands - inevitably health care provision is better in more densely populated areas than in the more sparsely populated islands. People travel to the main hospital in Male, the capital, which can be overwhelmed by people demanding care. Each group of islands has a 'health centre', to which people travel to if they can. Health care, though good, is hampered by poor sanitation on the island, which can help spread infectious disease. Import tariffs on pharmaceuticals are at 5%.