A Narrative Review of the Role of Economic Crisis on Health and Healthcare Infrastructure in Three Disparate National Environments

Abstract

The collapse of a country’s economy can have significant impacts on the health and healthcare infrastructure of the country. This paper compares the collapse of three national economies from widely separated regions: Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Despite significant differences in the environments and cultures of these countries, there are some common variables and outcomes shared by most of the countries including effects on healthcare workforce, disproportionate effects on marginalized populations, and resurgence of certain infectious diseases.