Latin American, Caribbean health systems need more investment as populations age

The health systems of six Latin American and Caribbean countries have made substantial progress toward universal coverage — providing free or subsidized healthcare to the majority of their populations — but continue to face challenges managing more complex health needs such as those related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke and depression, a new study from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the Inter-American Development Bank finds. Though the health systems in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama have considerable strengths, citizens still reported gaps in the way primary care is organized, financed and delivered in those countries. People reporting greater problems accessing primary care also reported receiving effective and timely healthcare or basic preventive measures such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks less often. People’s experiences of primary care also translated to their assessment of the entire health system; those who had better experiences at the primary care level were less likely to say that their health system needed major reforms. “The fact that these countries are facing an increased burden of chronic conditions will ultimately affect their economies without continued social investments and that can be a challenge during the current economic slowdown,” said James Macinko, professor in the departments of health policy and management and of community health sciences at the Fielding School and the stud...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news