Latin America and the Caribbean, unlike other regions, is still quite young demographically: people over age 60 make up around 11% of the total population. However, the region is expected to experience the fastest rate of population aging in the world over the coming decades.

This technical note discusses the application of economic evidence in health technology assessments for decision-making on the allocation of health resources. There is already recognition in Latin America that the economic dimensions of health interventions, such as cost-effectiveness and budgetary impact, are critical dimensions that should always be considered when making decisions about the coverage or inclusion of technologies in benefits packages.

This technical note discusses the application of economic evidence in health technology assessments for decision-making on the allocation of health resources. There is already recognition in Latin America that the economic dimensions of health interventions, such as cost-effectiveness and budgetary impact, are critical dimensions that should always be considered when making decisions about the coverage or inclusion of technologies in benefits packages.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the centrality of population health for economies and social well-being, while also highlighting serious long-standing structural problems in health systems. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), serious deficiencies in health systems were highlighted in basic dimensions such as quality, results, costs and equity. Today, countries must manage the increasing complexity of their health systems while facing an unprecedented economic crisis.

Para promover el acceso al desarrollo de habilidades entre las poblaciones indígenas, los planificadores de la educación requieren conocimientos tanto sobre los desafíos de la región como sobre las políticas que permitan cumplir dicho objetivo. En este estudio, mapeamos el estado de desarrollo de habilidades de niños, jóvenes y adultos indígenas en América Latina y el Caribe (ALC).

Para promover el acceso al desarrollo de habilidades entre las poblaciones indígenas, los planificadores de la educación requieren conocimientos tanto sobre los desafíos de la región como sobre las políticas que permitan cumplir dicho objetivo. En este estudio, mapeamos el estado de desarrollo de habilidades de niños, jóvenes y adultos indígenas en América Latina y el Caribe (ALC).

Durante la pandemia de COVID-19, 165 millones de estudiantes de América Latina y el Caribe se vieron abruptamente desconectados de la educación. A finales de 2021, las escuelas habían estado cerradas una media de 237 días, más que en cualquier otra parte del mundo. Aunque la pandemia de COVID-19 ha afectado las vidas de mucha gente en todo el mundo, no lo ha hecho de manera uniforme. Tal vez uno de los legados más devastadores de la pandemia sea su efecto sobre los jóvenes.

The AI is a very powerful tool that can help solve complex problems, as long as it is contextualized within the public policy problem that it seeks to solve, and the ethical and legal problems involved in the application of automatic decision-making tools are addressed. This manual is part of a series of documents and tools aimed at guiding policymakers and their technical teams in mitigating the challenges inherent in AI-based decision support systems and in promoting their responsible adoption.

Health spending has been growing at a much higher rate than the income of countries practically all over the world. This increase is due to many factors such as the demographic and epidemiological transition, the increase in the expectations of the middle class and, mainly, the presence of more and better health technologies, such as medicines and medical devices. The case of Brazil does not escape the general rule. Expenditure on medicines increased by 40% from 2010 to 2015. Currently, this expenditure represents 16% of the public health budget.

Health spending has been growing at a much higher rate than the income of countries practically all over the world. This increase is due to many factors such as the demographic and epidemiological transition, the increase in the expectations of the middle class and, mainly, the presence of more and better health technologies, such as medicines and medical devices. The case of Brazil does not escape the general rule. Expenditure on medicines increased by 40% from 2010 to 2015. Currently, this expenditure represents 16% of the public health budget.