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. In Chile, for example, health spending directly paid by households accounts for 32% of total health spending, … [Read more...] about How Much Could Chilean Households Save by Switching to Generic Drugs?
Health Spending and Financing
Master Plans for Investment in Health: A Tool to Improve Impact and Sustainability
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, … [Read more...] about Master Plans for Investment in Health: A Tool to Improve Impact and Sustainability
Is it possible to achieve more health per dollar spent? Potential gains by improving health spending efficiency
Getting more for our current spending is a smart way to improve health system performance. That rings especially true in the current context: budgets are tight and health expenditures are projected to increase by 3% annually in real terms. Increasing the returns to health spending is good for health outcomes and it can support the argument for increasing the relatively low … [Read more...] about Is it possible to achieve more health per dollar spent? Potential gains by improving health spending efficiency
Does health insurance for the informal sector have an impact on formal employment?
Does expanding social protection schemes substantially increase informality? Whether there is such a trade-off is a key question for policymakers wanting to protect workers and their families from economic and health shocks but concerned not to generate negative side-effects. The case for social protection is clear. There are global commitments such as the … [Read more...] about Does health insurance for the informal sector have an impact on formal employment?
Can We Do Better than Normal for Health?
In the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic it is easy to both remain stunned by the pandemic’s impact and long for some kind of normalcy. That is certainly true for health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, which were hit hard and are struggling to recover. But what should recovery look like? While it is tempting to be nostalgic about pre-pandemic times, those were … [Read more...] about Can We Do Better than Normal for Health?