Health

There is much to be celebrated for the Mexican health care system, which is moving in towards its goal of providing all citizens, regardless of wealth or employment, access to high levels of care. In the last three years, movements to increase coordination between health providers, cut costs and improve services are also to be commended. However, the inherent inefficiencies of the fractured public system and the bureaucratic wastage that accompanies it are a continual obstacle to providing the best possible service. Nevertheless, the private sector already plays a crucial role in the provision of health care in Mexico, which is likely to expand in the future. A great deal will depend on the general elections in 2018, which will determine the direction of a much-needed structural reform to the sector. This chapter includes an interview with Julio Sánchez y Tépoz, Federal Commissioner, Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk.