The region of Latin America and the Caribbean is increasingly active in the P4H Network. P4H’s academic members in the region are collaborating on an upcoming webinar on the challenges of financing universal health coverage, using the cases of Colombia and Peru.
Advancing UHC requires sustainable financing strategies, translated into well-resourced budgets supporting robust approaches, thereby promoting access to quality health care. Social health protection is one of those approaches, as it eliminates direct payment, which is a barrier to access at the time of procuring services. In a recent report, the World Health Organization’s Council on the Economics of Health For All made recommendations that translate into strategies to promote UHC objectives.
In recent years, the political agendas of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have included discussion about and searches for reforms to advance UHC, especially around financing. Among the most striking cases in LAC are Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. In these countries, government proposals include regulatory advances, reforms approved or under discussion, and declarations of good intentions.
