The lack of long-term care services increases hospital costs and can make healthcare systems unsustainable. In Mexico, older people with functional limitations—those who need long-term care—are up to 23 percentual points more likely to be hospitalized than functionally independent individuals. Once hospitalized, they are also more likely to stay longer. The IDB's new study, … [Read more...] about Strengthening Long-Term Care Is Key to Sustainable Healthcare in Latin America
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo
One in Six Hospitalizations in Latin America and the Caribbean Could Be Avoided
Hospital beds are a scarce resource in Latin America and the Caribbean, yet many are taken up by patients whose conditions could be managed outside the hospital, for example in clinics or doctors' offices, according to a new IDB analysis. In the study, we assessed what share of hospitalizations could be avoided by more effective primary care: hospitalizations for so-called … [Read more...] about One in Six Hospitalizations in Latin America and the Caribbean Could Be Avoided
Reducing Waste to Achieve More Health
By 2050, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are expected to experience per capita health spending growth rates that outpace the growth of their national income. According to a recent IDB-financed study, per capita health spending in the region could nearly triple by 2050, with annual growth rates above 3% between 2030 and 2050. In the Dominican Republic, … [Read more...] about Reducing Waste to Achieve More Health
Do You Work in the Health Sector? Enhance Your Impact with These Courses Free of Charge
Health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean face growing challenges in ensuring efficient, sustainable, and high-quality services for everyone. Population aging, the increasing burden of chronic diseases, and limited resources make improving the performance of the health sector an unavoidable priority. On this path, continuous training and access to evidence-based … [Read more...] about Do You Work in the Health Sector? Enhance Your Impact with These Courses Free of Charge
Predictable and Preventable: Designing Protection for Recurring Shocks
What happens when a household loses a job, gets hit by flood, or experiences a health emergency? For many families in the region, it’s not just a one-time hardship, it’s part of a repeating pattern. We used data on urban households from Colombia’s Encuesta Longitudinal Colombiana de la Universidad de los Andes (ELCA). This nationally representative panel survey has … [Read more...] about Predictable and Preventable: Designing Protection for Recurring Shocks