Salud y economía: una convergencia necesaria para enfrentar la enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) y retomar la senda hacia el desarrollo sostenible / Health and the economy: a convergence needed to address COVID-19 and retake the path of sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean

RESUMEN

América Latina y el Caribe se ha convertido en el epicentro de la pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) y encabeza las estadísticas mundiales de casos. La pandemia ha devenido en una inédita crisis económica y social y, si no se toman medidas urgentes, podría transformarse en una crisis alimentaria, humanitaria y política. Tanto para las acciones de control de la pandemia como para las etapas de reactivación y reconstrucción, es imprescindible aumentar la inversión pública en salud hasta alcanzar los parámetros recomendados, de modo de asegurar el fortalecimiento de los sistemas de salud, ampliando y reconfigurando los servicios de salud de calidad, con un enfoque de atención primaria de salud, y abordar de manera inmediata y acelerada las necesidades de salud insatisfechas, reducir inequidades y mejorar las condiciones de acceso a servicios esenciales, incluida la protección financiera.

ABSTRACT

Latin America and the Caribbean is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the highest number of cases of any region in the world. The pandemic has produced an unprecedented economic and social crisis, and it could generate a food, humanitarian, and political crisis if urgent measures are not taken. The policy options for addressing the pandemic entail consolidating national plans and achieving intersectoral consensus. The response should be structured in three nonlinear and interrelated phases­control, reactivation, and rebuilding­involving the participation of technical actors representing not only the field of health but also other social and economic areas. Measures implemented to control the pandemic as well as measures for the reactivation and rebuilding phases will require increased public investment in health until the recommended parameters are achieved. It is necessary to ensure the strengthening of health systems and the expansion and reconfiguration of quality health services with a primary health care approach and to immediately address unmet health needs, reduce inequities, and improve conditions for accessing essential services, including financial protection.