Public health and social responsibility are the ways to defeat the Covid-19 (and pandemics in general): this is the lesson offered to the world by Uruguay, which has less than 11,000 cases since March with just over 100 deaths. An almost unique case among Latin American countries and in general a brilliant example of management on a global level.
As the newspaper reports The vanguard, just over ten years ago, during the president’s first term Jose Pepe Mujica, Uruguay has launched an ambitious public health plan that today proved to be crucial in curbing the coronavirus.
Few countries in the world have such a universal health system and few Latin American countries have such an egalitarian society, with a large majority citizens willing to live their individual freedom with a strong social responsibility.
Uruguay has about 3.5 million inhabitants and with current numbers its death rate from Covid-19 does not reach 3 out of 100,000 inhabitants. For comparison, in Italy we are at a rate of about 111 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants and other Latin American countries still have rates much higher than that of Uruguay.
A universal health system
The state has spent a decade investing 20% of GDP in a universal health system. According to the World Health Organization. Uruguay is a real example, with one of the most accessible healthcare systems in the world, a vast network of family doctors that treat patients at home and that this year have been fundamental in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
“In 2007 the Integrated National Health System brought together the private and public subsystems – reads the overview of the text ‘Building up the national integrated health system – Uruguay case study‘- Its purpose was to provide a comprehensive and fair universal health coverage as part of a single benefit plan known as the Integrated Health Care Plan, which shifted the focus of service delivery towards basic health care, prevention and health promotion activities. The paper discusses the reform which has led to a number of positive changes and efficiency gains from improved institutional arrangements, governance and the provision of health insurance services ”.
Before, in fact, the Uruguayan healthcare offer was highly fragmented, which led to poor efficiency, difficult coordination and complex and diversified contribution schemes, which varied according to geographic location, their ability to attract customers as well as the age and risk of the population. With Covid all this would have turned out to be a disaster.
An effective fight against the coronavirus
© Sistema Nacional de Emergencias Uruguay (data updated to 17 December 2020)
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The Prehospital Emergency System offers assistance to the population in their own homes or in the closest places possible, ha avoided unnecessary hospital admissions, which in other parts of the world are creating confusion, delays and poor assistance, contributing to the increase in the lethality of the disease. Alongside this, the country enjoys a National Assistance System, focused on children, the elderly and non self-sufficient people, the latter particularly vulnerable to the virus.
And it doesn’t stop there.
“Uruguay not only has a first-rate health system – explains Giovanni Escalante, WHO representative and the Pan-American Health Organization – but it has also managed organize itself towards neighboring countries”.
Which, as we know, are not shining in the same way, with Brazil and Argentina where the situation is dire from a health point of view due to the pandemic.
The non-interest wins, as does the culture of social responsibility. Two very rare things, as an invisible creature is teaching us.
Sources of reference: The vanguard / WHO / Uruguay National Emergency System
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