Analysis of the evolution of health in Venezuela as reflected in the ENCOVI living conditions surveys

Abstract

Since 2014, three of the country's leading universities—the Andrés Bello Catholic University, the Central University of Venezuela, and the Simón Bolívar University—have provided a veritable treasure trove of information on the living conditions of the Venezuelan population. Through household surveys, they explore topics related to education, income, health, migration, and more. These topics reflect the past decade of economic, social, and political crisis and how this has affected the country's living standards. This article provides an analytical and comparative summary of the country's health status from 2014 to 2024. One of the most relevant conclusions is a widespread deterioration in the quality of life, coupled with the negative impact that migration has had on the health sector, with persistent inequalities in access to medical care. A loss of financial security was also evident, with fewer private health insurance policies across all income quintiles. Maternal and child health, which was also explored in some of the ENCOVI surveys, showed inadequate prenatal care and low immunization coverage