The index, published in The Lancet, estimated that between 1990 and 2015, our system achieved significant progress in reducing mortality by 32 preventable pathologies with prevention measures and good health care.

Chile is ranked 48th in first study assessing Access and Quality to Health Care (HAQ, by its acronym in English) 195 countries from 1990 to 2015. He study, published in the medical journal The Lancet and collected in “El Mercurio”, focused on 32 pathologies that, with timely and effective--healthcare such as vaccines, routine surgeries and management treatments or curative -, they should not result in deaths. Andorra leads the global ranking, with 95 points on a scale ranging from 0 to 100 with which each pathology was assessed by country. It is followed by Iceland (94) and Switzerland (92). At the end of the ranking are Somalia (34), Afghanistan (32) and the Central African Republic (29). With 76 points, Chile is located in the best position among the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by Cuba (74) and Argentina (68). Lastly are Guatemala (56), Honduras (56) and Haiti (38). Lithuania are among countries with similar to the Chile scores, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania and Belarus. The model developed by Dr. Christopher Murray, the u. Washington (USA), analyzed the evolution of the HAQ Index between 1990 and 2015 for each country. Of the 195 analyzed, 167 had significant improvements. One of them is Chile. “The design of the boom was based on studies that I had to do with the same Murray on the burden of disease in Chile. It was decided to focus on preventable diseases that kill more” Catterina Ferreccio, epidemiologist UC”For me, the progress made by Chile is more relevant than be in place 48″, says Dr. Catterina Ferreccio, UC epidemiologist and Deputy Director of the Center for advanced chronic diseases (ACCDiS ). The study shows that in 1990 Chile rated 58,5 and that, considering social conditions beyond the health system, the maximum score I could aspire to was 73,8. “I.e., we were 15 points away to get to the ideal”, says Ferreccio. In 2015, on the other hand, the maximum that could be aspired to was 84,5. “The gap with respect to what we can accomplish is halved (8,5) in 15 years. It is a significant improvement”, highlights. This means that the health system is being able to avoid more deaths preventable. The expert attributes such as “fundamental” for this achievement the AUGE plan, ensuring the diagnosis and treatment of 80 pathologies, 13 of which are among those analyzed. Cristian Herrera, Head of the Division of health planning, Ministry of health, attributes the indicators to the emphasis in the 1990s on vaccination coverage to prevent communicable infections and which means that there are virtually no deaths in Chile from measles, diphtheria and tetanus. Add to this that “since the 1990s, public expenditure on health has been increasing, resulting in more services to the population, including the strengthening of infrastructure and primary care”. Another factor is that virtually all the population has health coverage through Fonasa or isapre. Recognizes the challenges Herrera, However, the fact that the seven diseases with the lowest score are boom responds to, “While increased access and protection in health, in parallel they prevail or have increased risk factors such as obesity, excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking and others associated with chronic diseases, cancers and cardiovascular diseases”. “I would say that it is precisely in chronic diseases where we need to address the risk factors. That is the challenge to further improve”, concludes. Record suspect Within 30 pathologies evaluated, Chile appears as the country with the access and care index lower, at the global level, testicular cancer. The country's 19 points contrast, for example, with the 57 of the Rep. Central African and 66 Afghanistan, countries in the ranking . How come this figure to a highly curable disease, It's on the rise, and whose treatment is well known? “I think that it is due to an error in the register of deaths from this cause. There is no reason for this tumor behaves uniquely in Chile and urologists see few deaths from this cause”, says Fernando Coz, urologist of the clínica Universidad de los Andes. In 2012, Coz detected and reported as a suspect that The Minsal statistics reported an excessively high number of more than 100 deaths a year from this cause. “Then I noticed this Minsal and the charge of the Committee on health of the House of representatives so that they investigate the situation. But they did nothing. Imported to anyone”, says. Based on 2003-2007 Minsal figures showing 641 new cases of this cancer per year and a mortality of 1,2 per 100 thousand inhabitants, Dr. Cristian Herrera acknowledges that “It is likely that there are problems with the information that was used in the study”.

Source: EMOL.com – http:www.emol.com/News/national/2017/05/19 /859052/Chile-se-location-between-the-50-countries-with-mayor-Acceso-a-Salud-del-Planeta-y-leads-in-the-region.html