As part of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO) Lecture Series, we welcome Miguel A. González-Block on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 9:30 AM in HS 106 (Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Toronto).

Towards Universal Health Coverage in Mexico: Progress and Challenges

Most Mexicans have gained access to a guaranteed health care package delivered through improved, pro-poor strategies. However, the health system remains segmented and inequitable, while centralization, inefficiency and even corruption limit funding and provision.

In his talk, Miguel González Block will address the progress and challenges facing universal access to needed health interventions, free at the point of service. Governance will be discussed as the biggest challenge to enable the transition from the current president-centered, segmented and vertically integrated set of social security and assistance institutions, towards person-centered, plural health funding and provider networks.

Miguel Angel González-Block

Dr. Miguel Angel González-Block is Director General of Evisys Consultling and holds the PwC Chair in Health Systems Research at Anahuac University in Mexico City. He serves as editor emeritus for BiomedCentral’s Health Research Policy and Systems and was the founding Director of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research at the World Health Organization.

Dr. González-Block has had 40 years’ experience in policy analysis and systems research at the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, the Mexican Health Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Health Organization. He has published over 160 publications in the areas of health policy analysis, implementation research, disease control strategies, health systems capacity strengthening, strategy development and implementation and health research utilization, among other fields.

Dr. González-Block has collaborated in international health systems analysis in diverse teams, among which the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research at WHO, the Tropical Disease Research and Training Program at WHO and through diverse  consulting and research collaborations.

North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO)

The North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO) is a collaborative partnership of interested researchers, health organizations, and governments promoting evidence-informed health system policy decision-making. Due to the high degree of health system decentralization in the United States and Canada, the NAO is committed to focusing attention on comparing health systems and policies at the provincial and state level in federations.