In Republic of Korea the lifetime average number of children per women is 1 compared with 2 in the UK.No data are available on contraceptive use in this country.
65% of women aged 50–69 years have undergone a breast examination or mammography compared to 75% in the UK and 59% of women aged 20–69 years have undergone cervical cancer screening compared to 70% in the UK.
Amputation and other major surgeries carried out without anaesthesia are just one indication of the dire state of North Korea’s healthcare system, a new Amnesty International report has found.

The Crumbling state of health care in North Korea draws on interviews with North Koreans and health workers to paint a picture of barely-functioning hospitals void of medicines and epidemics brought on by malnutrition.

Witnesses described hospitals where hypodermic needles were not sterilized and sheets were not regularly washed.

“North Korea has failed to provide for the most basic health and survival needs of its people. This is especially true of those who are too poor to pay for medical care,” said Catherine Baber, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Asia-Pacific.

According to the World Health Organization’s last available figures, North Korea spent less on healthcare than any other country in the world – under US$1 per person per year in total.

The North Korean government still claims that its healthcare system is free for all, but many witnesses told Amnesty International that they have had to pay for all services since the 1990s, with doctors usually paid in cigarettes, alcohol or food for the most basic consults, and taking cash for tests or surgery.