Author: Hope Friedman

When most people hear the word desert, they think of sand, sun, and heat. But there’s a different kind of desert that not many know about, but affects millions of people every single day. It’s called a medical desert. These are areas, often in rural regions or underserved urban neighborhoods, where people have little to no access to basic healthcare.

What does this mean, though? It’s not just about having fewer doctors around. It means that people in these areas may not have a hospital within driving distance. There might not be a single local clinic, no specialists, and sometimes not even a pharmacy. And when medical services do exist, they’re often stretched thin or impossible to get to without a car, money, or time off work.

This is not a small issue. In fact over 80 million people in the United States live in or near a medical desert. According to the National Rural Health Association, more than 100 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, and hundreds more are at risk. Some counties don’t have a single practicing primary care doctor. Others don’t have any OB-GYNs, mental health providers, or pediatricians. And for urban communities, the problem may look different but feel the same: clinics are overcrowded, underfunded, or too expensive for the people who need them most.

Now imagine this happening in your own life. You wake up feeling sick, but there’s no nearby clinic to visit. Your child has a fever, but the wait at the only ER nearby is six hours long. You run out of medication for a chronic illness, but the closest pharmacy is thirty miles away. This is not just a small issue, it can be life-threatening. 

Why Medical Deserts Are So Dangerous?

Living in a medical desert has serious consequences. People in these areas are much more likely to delay treatment, skip regular check-ups, or ignore early warning signs of illness due to limits in resources. This usually leads to worse outcomes for preventable or manageable conditions like diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and cancer.

Here are some important facts regarding the issue:

• People in underserved areas are 60% more likely to die early from preventable causes
• Lack of local OB-GYNs led to the U.S. having the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries
• Rural residents with chronic illnesses are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been managed with routine care

Access to healthcare shouldn’t depend on your income, race, or where you live. Healthcare is a basic human need, and treating it like a luxury creates divides in who gets to live a healthy life and who doesn’t.

So, What Can We Do About It?

The good news is that we’re not powerless. The first step is awareness. Many people don’t even know medical deserts exist, let alone how widespread the problem is. Talking about it helps. Sharing stories helps. Advocating for change helps.

Here are some real, actionable ways to make a difference:

• Support mobile clinics and telehealth programs that bring care directly to people in need
• Volunteer with or donate to organizations working to close the healthcare gap
• Push for policy change that increases funding for rural hospitals, expands Medicaid, and offers incentives for medical professionals to work in underserved areas
• Educate yourself and others so this issue gets the attention it deserves

In the US we often assume that help is available when we need specialists or walk in clinics. But even in America, many people struggle with high costs, insurance barriers, or long wait times. Around the world, though, access can be even more limiting. In some countries, people don’t just face delays or high bills they may not have doctors nearby at all. Whether it’s due to poverty, distance, or a shortage of healthcare workers, the results are the same, too many people go without the care they need.

Many countries, typically third world countries, are even more limited because of the amount of doctors in the area. Take countries like Liberia, Malawi, and Niger. They have only about 14 to 19 doctors per million people. That number is hard to grasp until you compare it to places like the United States, Canada, or the UK, which have around 3,000 doctors per million. That’s a huge gap. Liberia, for example, has only about 77 doctors in the whole country, while the United States has over a million. Even though Liberia has a smaller population, the shortage still leaves many people without the care they need.

This isn’t just a problem in one country. Malawi has only around 1,029 doctors total, and that affects more than just medical appointments. It leads to higher illness and death rates, hurts the economy, and makes managing chronic diseases much harder.

I used to think, “I’m not a doctor, so how could I possibly help?” But over time, I realized there are other ways to make a difference. Some American doctors do travel to provide care in underserved communities, and that’s awesome. But not everyone has the training or time to do that, and that’s completely okay.

There are still ways to help. 

1. First, we need to understand the crisis and what causes it. (I’ve learned so much by reading articles and listening to stories from people affected by the healthcare gap.) 
2. Second, we can talk and advocate for it. Sharing what we know with friends, family, or even on social media can make more people aware. 
3. Third, we can support prevention and treatment efforts by donating, fundraising, or volunteering with organizations that bring care to communities in need.

By doing these steps, together, we can make healthcare more accessible to people all over the world.