In Latin America and the Caribbean, pharmaceutical expenditure ranges from 8.5% (Costa Rica) to 22.1% (Mexico) of total health expenditure. Although governments bear part of this expenditure, in many of the region's countries households assume a significant proportion.
Hospitals are a key component of health systems and health spending in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Across the region, hospital care already accounts for about 1/3 of total health spending and is expected to increase in absolute and relative terms as populations age and medical technology improves.
Long waiting times for public health care services are common in Latin America, as confirmed by the available data. For instance, in 2022 the median waiting time for hip replacements – a common elective surgery – was 408 days in Chile and 632 in Costa Rica. And even for coronary bypass surgery, more than three in four patients have been on a waiting list for more than three months.
In the last decade, the debate on caregiving work—its gender inequality and impact on development—has gained increasing relevance on the public policy agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean. The origin of this debate dates back to concerns about the sexual division of labor, which places an unequal share of unpaid caregiving work on women.
Every April 25, the United Nations celebrates World Malaria Day. Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that claims 600,000 lives each year, mainly children. It is important to emphasize the fundamental role of courageous and committed women who, despite the difficulties, help their families and neighbors to fight the disease. Day by day, they are the heroines of their community.
It is estimated that to ensure the proper functioning of the infrastructure and necessary equipment, the public health network of Latin America and the Caribbean presents an investment deficit exceeding US $150 billion. In addition to this estimate, there is a growing demand for health services as a result of the increase in the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases, technological innovation and the promise of moving towards Universal Health Coverage.
The digital transformation of health requires close collaboration between health and IT staff. For this, it is not necessary that doctors, in addition to knowing how the human body works, know how to cure viruses from their computers. It is enough for a small group of people to develop a language and a common understanding of a series of topics related to health and the computer world. And it is key that they do so. In this way advances and solutions are possible that improve the lives of millions of people, who would not otherwise be possible to reach.
Imagine embarking on the construction of a house, only to find that the carpenters, electricians, and plumbers are each following a different blueprint. The result? You might end up with a bathtub in your kitchen! Yet, this scenario isn't far from reality when strong digital health foundations are lacking.
The data are alarming: a series of studies show that, over the last two decades, the mental health of young people has worsened, becoming a global issue. Today, one in seven adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) experience some mental disorder –we are talking about almost 16 million adolescents aged 10 to 19 in the region.
Getting more for our current spending is a smart way to improve health system performance.