Chronic diseases have risen in prominence in recent years and are now the major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The rise in rates of obesity and aging populations are two primary drivers of this global trend, which is predicted to continue to rise in the absence of effective interventions. Notably, much of this disease burden is due to individual behaviors such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, poor eating habits, and lack of proper preventive care.

Guaranteeing the right to health care under equal conditions for all is a goal that every society desires to achieve, particularly in a region as unequal as Latin America and the Caribbean. Universal coverage is an important objective for most countries; however, the context for attaining universal coverage is difficult, as the pressure on health spending mounts with each passing day. So, what to leave in or out of a health benefit plan?

Belize is participating in the Salud Mesoamerica 2015 Initiative (SM2015), a regional public-private partnership administered by the Inter-American
Development Bank (IADB) and implemented by the eight Mesoamerican
countries, which utilizes a results-based financing model with external