“In LAC, 70% of excess deaths that could have been avoided by adequate healthcare are due to low quality of care while 30% are due to lack of access to care.” This striking statistic is often used to highlight the importance of quality for health outcomes, including in the IDB’s Health Sector Framework. But what is the basis for this estimate, and what does it mean? What … [Read more...] about Preventing Unnecessary Deaths: Tackling Low Quality of Care
Brazil
Task Shifting and Technology are Game Changers in Facing Mental Health Challenges
Mental health disorders are common and disabling throughout the world. Rich and poor countries experience the devastating consequences of these disorders, representing approximately 20% of the global burden of diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean, with mental health disorders representing only 0.4% of all public healthcare funding globally. Besides, there are massive … [Read more...] about Task Shifting and Technology are Game Changers in Facing Mental Health Challenges
Stigma and Discrimination among People Living with Dementia
Every 3 seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. Most of these individuals reside in low- and middle-income countries. Latin America is likely to be significantly impacted by the global increase in the number of people affected by dementia. By 2050, it is expected to rise from more than 7.8 million people in 2013 to over 27 million. Brazil has … [Read more...] about Stigma and Discrimination among People Living with Dementia
The COVID-19 vaccine: when, how, and at what price?
It is no news that we are all looking forward to the COVID-19 vaccine. But to believe that finding one - or several - vaccines will be the panacea and immediately end the pandemic is a mistake. Three fundamental questions explain why the vaccine does not provide an immediate solution. The first and most obvious, the date: when will the vaccine be ready? The second question is … [Read more...] about The COVID-19 vaccine: when, how, and at what price?