Catastrophic health expenditure as a proxy for financial protection in Latin America: Data and policy gaps

Abstract

Introduction: This paper aims to analyze the available information on health financial protection coverage, specifically the proportion of the population in catastrophic health expenditure situations in Latin American countries. Methods: Information was obtained from two databases: (1) Health Equity and Financial Protection Indicators (HEFPI) of the World Bank, and (2) SDG Monitoring developed between WHO and the World Bank. In each database, the household sample surveys available for estimating catastrophic health expenditure at the threshold of 10 % of monthly income were identified and the dates on which they were carried out.