Even though Panama has one of the fastest growing economies in the western hemisphere, an estimated 500,000 people (13.8% of its population) are in extreme poverty.
In general, the population living in more marginalized areas has less service coverage and less access to health care.
[3] The top 10 causes of total deaths in 2017 were; ischemic heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, lower respiratory infection, interpersonal violence, COPD, HIV/AIDS and road injuries[4] The top 10 causes for DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) were; diabetes, ischemic heart disease, headache disorder, stroke, interpersonal violence, HIV/AIDS, lower respiratory infections, road injuries, neonatal disorders and congenital defects[5] Life expectancy at birth in Panama was 75 years for men in 2016 and 81 years for women.
There are inequalities, as evident in the disparity between the country’s highest infant mortality rate (21.0 per 1,000 live births in Guna Yala) and the lowest (6.6 in Los Santos).
In 2008, an increase in overweight was observed at the national level, with a prevalence of 10% in pre-schoolers, 30% in schoolchildren, 25% in adolescents, and 57% in adults.
[15] In 2011, there were 29.2 health workers per 10,000 inhabitants, exceeding the goal of 25 per 10,000 set by the Pan American Sanitary Conference.
However, the distribution of health workers is inequitable (in 2011, only 12.3% of doctors were serving in the country’s rural areas, where 33% of the population lives).