Abstract

LOPEZ J, Ana M  and  URIBE S, Felipe J. Avoidable Mortality in the States at the Northern Border of Mexico: Possible Social Implications for Health Care Services. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2015, vol.33, n.2, pp.181-191. ISSN 0120-386X.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.rfnsp.v33n2a05.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze avoidable mortality between 1998 and 2007 in the border states of Northern Mexico to evaluate, indirectly, the quality of the region's health care services. METHODOLOGY: the information on mortality provided by the National Health Information System (SINAIS) was analyzed. The unit of analysis was the basic cause of death. The cause was coded in accordance with the ICD-10.Avoidable mortality was classified according to Gomez's death causes catalog. Likewise, an exploratory analysis was conducted which focused on the relationship between avoidable mortality and eligibility and the socioeconomic level of the municipalities in which the deaths took place. RESULTS :The global rate of avoidable mortality was of 350.2 deaths per 1000 inhabitants in the region. the rates of avoidable mortality by early diagnosis and medical treatment, violence, and HIV/AIDS were 223, 60 and 5 per 1000 inhabitants respectively. These causes of avoidable mortality showed variations between states in terms of magnitude, eligibility and socio-demographic characteristics. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:The population living in the states located in the northern border of Mexico have a very intense epidemiological and sociodemographical dynamics. The results of this study suggest that the Mexican health system is being overcome by the high frequency of non-communicable diseases in this region. In social terms, Mexico has structural conditions that facilitate the development of illegal drugs traffic through the Northern states of Mexico. This could be related to the frequency of violent avoidable deaths and, in a subsidiary manner, in HIV/AIDS deaths.

Keywords : avoidable mortality; eligibility; socioeconomic regions; Northern border of Mexico.

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