Strengthening health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), in the wake of COVID-19 must be a priority, according to a new World Bank report.
The publication entitled ‘Building Resilient Health Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic’ states that investing in cost-effective interventions such as high-performing primary health care and better public health surveillance systems can build resilience against future pandemics.
More investments are also needed to address pressures on health care services exacerbated by COVID-19, including mental health services, and to lay the ground for better human development outcomes and economic growth, it said.
“The pandemic has shown that health systems need to be well funded and able to deal with shocks and surges,” said Juan Pablo Uribe, global director for Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank.
“Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have developed effective, innovative measures, including the expansion of telemedicine and telehealth services, increased the use of data in decision-making and new public-private partnerships that have expanded access to care during pandemic peaks. These innovations can be catalyzed, and propel broader, lasting reforms for better resilience in the health sector.”
According to the World Bank, despite improvements in health care over the last 30 years, the COVID-19 pandemic encountered a region that faced many systemic challenges. Most healthcare systems in LAC underperform compared to the average for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
It said healthcare fragmentation is a key source of waste in the region, leading to duplication of tasks, substantially reducing system efficiency, and exacerbating inequalities. On average, health spending, although it grew in recent years, stands at only 25 percent of OECD countries’ expenditure per capita adjusted for purchasing power.
Limited health system capacity also impaired countries’ abilities to deal with shocks and surges in demands, as underinvestment in public health before the pandemic left health systems in LAC severely underprepared, the report said.
It added the region has had one of the highest global rates of deaths and excess mortality due to COVID-19, and the pandemic has led to a significant increase of mental health conditions.
The publication was launched during an event organized by the Government of Chile and the World Bank with health and finance ministers of the region, high-level officials, and representatives of international organizations to discuss the challenges faced by health systems in the aftermath of the pandemic.
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