Global Oncology Volunteering: Making an Effective Contribution

Elements of a good health system are lacking in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and in many high-income countries, including the United States. A major problem is financing health care. On average, about 50% of healthcare financing in low-income countries comes from out-of-pocket payments, compared to 30% in middle-income countries and 14% in high-income countries.