Health and social welfare

Socialism has given Algeria a comprehensive series of social welfare programmes for the impoverished, elderly and disabled members of society as well as benefits for labourers. Public housing and agricultural reform programmes have also been implemented for the benefit of the people.

In 1974 the government implemented national health programmes providing medical care to all Algerian citizens free of charge. During the first part of the 1990s the country had over 284 hospitals and 23,550 doctors. Major health problems for the country are epidemics such as malaria and tuberculosis as well as malnutrition and trachoma.