La salud en Chile: reflexiones para el futuro / Health in Chile: perspectives

RESUMO

The health situation in Chile is analyzed. The influence of geographic, ethnic, racial, demographic, socio-economic and cultural factors is considered. Strategies for prevention depend on the epidemiologic status of communities. The quality and availability of helath care services is considered to be the main factor influencing health maintenance in Chile. The present helath coverage situation which provides for helath insurance to 15% of the population using 37% of the resources is clearly inappropriate. The separation of hospitals and outpatient facilities is recognized as an unfavourable situation. A worrying increment in the incidence of tuberculosis and a stagnation in the improvement of maternal child helath indexes since 1983 have been observed. Priorities for health development and modifications in health care and prevention systems are discussed