The last few months have seen one of the gravest crises of the modern era. Gradually some progress has been made but a return to life prior to the appearance of Covid-19 has not yet been achieved. In addition, uneven progress has been seen because some nations have performed better than others. Although it is not definitive, the countries that invest the most in health are those that have achieved the fastest recovery.
Consequences of past mistakes
In the specific case of Mexico, for decades it was a forgotten sector and today the consequences can be seen. Just at the beginning of the current administration, more than 250 abandoned hospital works were reported. While others were completed but never equipped, which in the end shows that not everything that is started is completed in its entirety.
In turn, the inconvenience can not only be seen in the infrastructure but also in the few personnel available to serve the entire population. To date it is estimated that there is a deficit of at least 200 thousand doctors, of which 70 thousand are specialists.
All of the above has its origin in the little investment that has been allocated to the health field, no matter how indispensable it is for any nation.
To illustrate, it is worth comparing the countries that invest the most and the least in health around the world. To do this, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has the records of all the nations that comprise it.
Nations that do care about health
With the above in mind, the United States allocates 14.3 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the health field. While in the case of Germany and Norway it is 9.5 and 8.7 percent, respectively. So far they are at the top of the countries that invest the most in health.
On the other hand, in Mexico the opposite occurs because it is among the last places, allocating only 2.8 percent for this item. Even Latin American countries such as Colombia, Chile and Brazil are above.
Finally, at the bottom of the OECD table is India with just 0.9 percent. It is a minimal figure and could be one of the reasons why he experienced a severe health crisis at the beginning of this 2021. The increase in infections was so serious that it caused the collapse of his health system.
For now, we share the following graph with information on Statista It shows the OECD countries that invest the most and least in health.