Since independence in the 1960s, the government has tried to extend the health care system. With foreign aid, new medical facilities have been built and many health care professionals have been trained. At first, health services were available to all citizens for free. In recent years, a system of payment for treatment and medicine has been introduced. This has resulted in a higher standard of health care, but it means that the very poor no longer have access to medical services.

Most hospitals are located in cities. Facilities in rural areas are limited. There are only about 1.5 doctors per 100,000 people. There are few specialists. People in the Sahel and Saharan regions and in some areas of the south have to travel long distances to receive medical treatment.

Infectious and parasitic diseases pose a challenge to Chad's health system. Tuberculosis is common and AIDS is on the increase. Outbreaks of cholera and meningitis have occurred, especially in the capital and in the highly populated southern regions. Cases of bilharzia (caused by a water-borne flatworm that enters the bloodstream through the skin) and river blindness (caused by black-fly bites) are frequent. The guinea worm, a type of parasite, can cause great suffering. Malaria is a constant problem. Across the country, various international non-governmental organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the Carter Foundation, are working to reduce these problems.