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Health at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2020

image of Health at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2020

Health at a Glance: Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 presents key indicators on health and health systems in 33 Latin America and the Caribbean countries. This first Health at a Glance publication to cover the Latin America and the Caribbean region was prepared jointly by OECD and the World Bank. Analysis is based on the latest comparable data across almost 100 indicators including equity, health status, determinants of health, health care resources and utilisation, health expenditure and financing, and quality of care. The editorial discusses the main challenges for the region brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as managing the outbreak as well as mobilising adequate resources and using them efficiently to ensure an effective response to the epidemic. An initial chapter summarises the comparative performance of countries before the crisis, followed by a special chapter about addressing wasteful health spending that is either ineffective or does not lead to improvement in health outcomes so that to direct saved resources where they are urgently needed.

English Also available in: Spanish

Diet

Diet is another key determinant that contributes to the overall health and wellbeing of an individual. Adults who follow a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, sugars and salt/sodium are at a lesser risk of developing one or more cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer (Graf and Cecchini, 2017[32]). In many countries, people are switching to diets more reliant on processed foods. This together with changes in the way we interact with the environment and each other is leading to a new food environment and culture. Combined with the increasing lack of physical activity (Chapter 4. Physical activity), this poses a significant challenge in the short and long-term (WHO, 2018[34]).

English Also available in: Spanish

Graphs

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