Washington, D.C., April 17, 2025 – Representatives from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the P4H Network—a global platform that promotes equitable health financing and social health protection—the University of Antioquia (Colombia), and the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru came together to discuss the challenges of financing to advance toward universal health in the Region.
Held as part of the webinar “Challenges for Financing Universal Health: The Cases of Colombia and Peru,” the event provided an opportunity to analyze recent experiences and discuss policy options to move toward more equitable and resilient health systems.
In a regional context marked by persistent access gaps, inequalities in the quality of care, and high levels of out-of-pocket spending, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean face the urgent challenge of strengthening the financial sustainability of their health systems. Achieving universal health requires increasing public health spending, improving the efficiency in managing available resources, and removing financial barriers at the point of care.
Claudia Pescetto, Regional Advisor on Evidence and Information for Health Economics and Financing at PAHO, delivered the keynote presentation, highlighting the main challenges the Region faces in terms of health financing. She warned that, in the medium term, there is a risk of declining fiscal priority for health—reflected in lower public spending—and of the continued prevalence of out-of-pocket spending as one of the main structural barriers to health access. She noted that in at least 9 countries in the Americas, this type of spending exceeds 35%, significantly higher than the average for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which stands at 19%. “Out-of-pocket spending remains one of the main barriers to accessing care in our countries. It not only reproduces inequalities but can also result in catastrophic or impoverishing health expenditures,” she stated.
The seminar featured a panel discussion focused on Colombia and Peru, moderated by Christine Ortiz (P4H Network), and included Pedro Francke, former Minister of Economy and Finance and current professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and Jairo Humberto Restrepo, professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the University of Antioquia. The panelists addressed the current state of health financing in their countries, recent reforms and policy changes, and the remaining challenges to ensuring adequate, equitable, and sustainable funding.
This seminar is part of a broader series of events promoted by the P4H Network to foster technical and political dialogue among countries and promote joint strategies to help ensure the right to health across the Region. PAHO remains committed to supporting these spaces for regional exchange and cooperation to advance toward stronger, more equitable, and more resilient health systems grounded in Primary Health Care.
