Impending health care challenges for Mexico

The Mexican health care industry needs to readjust for the changing demographics of its citizens, according to a new report by health care experts GlobalData, which states that, with a population of around 112 million, Mexico has a large work force available to support the country’s economy.

However, it notes, the declining birth rate and increasing share of the elderly population represents an impending health care challenge for the Mexican government, as health care expenditure will be driven up, while there will be fewer taxpayers to support it. Mexican labor forces are also generally low skilled, with less schooling than those of developed industrial economies, and so low labor productivity and low real wages amplify this burden further.

The medical care and welfare markets are expected to benefit from an increase in government initiatives however. The Ministry of Health introduced the Specific Action Program 2007–2012 (Programas de Accion Específicos 2007–2012) for the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Reforms in the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud) and the health care sector led to the formalization of the health protection system, and the 2003 introduction of national health insurance program, Seguro Popular, led to an increase in public funds to purchase medicines, and reduced the direct purchase of medicines by the final consumer. These show the government actively working to support their citizens and healthcare system.