Abstract

OROZCO, Antonio. The health care sector in the Colombian cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena. Lect. Econ. [online]. 2014, n.80, pp.183-208. ISSN 0120-2596.

In this paper, we provide an overview of the health care sector in the Colombian cities of Barranquilla and Cartagena since the mid 2000s. We analyze, from a descriptive approach and by using official sources, the state of health care coverage, the state of the health care service infrastructure and the sanitary conditions of these two cities. The results show that universal coverage has not been reached; moreover, the expansion of the subsidized health care scheme has been realized through methods that are not convenient. The health care service infrastructure, despite its improvement, is still far from international standards. Finally, infant and maternal mortality rates are high, and for the latter, both cities are out of line with the Millennium Development Goals.

Keywords : Barranquilla; Cartagena; health care coverage; health care service infrastructure; infant mortality; maternal mortality.

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