Abstract

MOLINA V, Catherine  and  MARTINEZ L, Elkín. Colombia’s position in the health context of Latin America. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2005, vol.23, n.1, pp.103-116. ISSN 0120-386X.

Introduction: health indicators guide decision making, facilitate monitoring of objectives and assess health systems performance in a country, but they make sense only when compared with real references obtained from the social environment. Objective: to establish the position of Colombia in the health context of the Americas. Methods: diverse secondary sources of information were processed, both national and international through two diagnostic strategies: relative advancement and standardized position. Results: Colombia has progressed about 80% of the gap between the most and the less advanced countries in Latin America in terms of life expectancy, social economic aspects, children mortality, maternal mortality, and infectious diseases. The country is above average in life expectancy, education and public services exceeding 62% of the countries in the area; and it is below average in human medical resources, and mortality due to homicide and to cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion: it is recommended to focus on external circumstances in order to acquire a more realistic and critical diagnosis of our strengths and weaknesses, so as to reach the level of the best and to design public health policies good enough to open the way to human sustainability for Colombian people.

Keywords : Health status indicators; diagnosis of health situation; Colombia; Latin America.

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