The profession has expanded globally. It can now be found in Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ghana, India, Israel, Liberia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Many countries do not use the term but do have people that are employed to do similar types of work, such as clinical officers in Africa, clinical associates in South Africa, assistant medical officers in Malaysia, assistant doctors in China, Health extension officers in Papua New Guinea, and feldshers in countries formerly comprising the Soviet Union. As a profession physician assistants have greatly influenced the theory and conceptualization of socially accountable health professional education.