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Territorial Inequality in Health Service Delivery: Lessons from Latin America’s Federations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2020

Agustina Giraudy Open the ORCID record for Agustina Giraudy [Opens in a new window]  and
Jennifer Pribble Open the ORCID record for Jennifer Pribble [Opens in a new window]
Agustina Giraudy*
Affiliation:
Agustina Giraudy is an associate professor in the School of International Service, American University.
Jennifer Pribble*
Affiliation:
Jennifer Pribble is an associate professor of political science and global studies at the University of Richmond.
*
giraudy@american.edu.
jpribble@richmond.edu.
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Abstract

Access to quality healthcare varies across the national territory inside Latin American countries, with some subnational units enjoying higher-quality care than others. Such territorial inequality is consequential, as residents of particular regions face shorter life spans and an increased risk of preventable disease. This article analyzes trajectories of territorial healthcare inequality across time in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. The data reveal a large decline in Brazil, a moderate decline in Mexico, and low levels of change followed by a moderate decline in Argentina. The article argues that two factors account for these distinct trajectories: the nature of the coalition that pushed health decentralization forward and the existence of mechanisms for central government oversight and management.

Keywords

Territorial inequalityhealthcareinfant mortalitydecentralization
Type
Research Article
Information
Latin American Politics and Society , Volume 62 , Special Issue 3: The Subnational State in Latin America , August 2020 , pp. 19 - 43
Copyright
© University of Miami 2020

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Footnotes

Conflict of interest: Agustina Giraudy and Jennifer Pribble declare none.

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