Health care delivery system: Mexico

Abstract

After the Mexican Revolution (1910–1917), the Mexican state adopted a political constitution that declared a deep social orientation toward the policies of education, work, and health. However, for diverse historical reasons, it was not possible for Mexico to adopt a unified and coherent health system. On the contrary, the Mexican health system is characterized by its heterogeneity and disparity, both in terms of its financial resources and concerning the population which it serves. From 2003 to 2018, significant efforts were made to correct some of the most manifest imbalances as well as to reduce gaps in the universal coverage of health services and to improve the health of the population. Unfortunately, from 2019 to date, universal health coverage has suffered new setbacks due to a change in Mexico's political orientation. Thus, in this article, we provide a brief review of the history of the Mexican health system, outlining its most important features and the main challenges it faces today.