| Bolivia is located in the central area of South America, its territorial extension covers 1,098,581 square kilometers. It borders on the North and East with Brazil, on the South with Argentina, on the West with Peru, on the Southeast with Paraguay, and on the Southwest with Chile. |
| The population estimated by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) is of 8,328,700 inhabitants. Bolivia, by the end of year 2,000, achieved a 6 % GDP growth rate, in constant prices with an approximate 2,1 % population growth rate. |
| According to the 1997-2002 Bolivian National Program of Essential Medicines (Programa Nacional de Medicamentos Esenciales - PNMEBOL 1997-2002) Bolivia has the following profile: - Number of inhabitants 8,328,700 (INE source) - Number of doctors per inhabitant: 3,4/10,000 - Number of pharmacies (public and private) 1,759 - Health expenditure as a percentage of the State budget 9 % - Health expenditure as a percentage of the GDP 4,7% - Percentage of the total expenditure in medicines in relation to the total expenditure in health 21 % |
| The Bolivian Health system consists of four health service providers: the Public sector, the Social Security sector, the Non-profit Private sector (ONGs), and the profit private sector. |
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