This manuscript presents the results of an analysis that highlights the challenges of diabetes as a global public health problem. The analysis was conducted in two phases: the first phase deals with primary data and results of a longitudinal study to provide evidence on the Mexican case. Regarding epidemiological changes between 2014 and 2016, there is an increase of 9-13% (p < .001). Comparing the economic burden from epidemiological changes in 2014 versus 2016 (p < .05), there is a 26% increase. The total amount spent on diabetes in 2015 (US dollars) was $ 8,974,662,570. This includes $ 3,981,426,810 in direct costs and $ 4993,235,752 in indirect costs. The second phase emphasises the analysis of diabetes as a major global public health challenge in the Americas. For this purpose a comparative analysis of epidemiological trends was carried out in seven selected Latin American countries (LACs). The results of both phases showed evidence leading to the conclusion that if the risk factors and models of health care remain as they currently are in LACs, there will be a high economic impact to patients' pockets and to health systems, which could lead to financial collapse.

Human rabies is known to be endemic in countries bordering Lebanon, but its prevalence in Lebanon has not been studied before. All eight cases of human rabies reported to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health between 1991 and 1999 were reviewed, as well as three other cases admitted to the American University of Beirut Medical Center. A total of 1102 cases of animal bites to humans, the majority of which were dog bites, were reported to the Ministry of Public Health between 1991 and 1996. In this period, 2487 doses of rabies vaccine were administered to the above group, as post-exposure prophylaxis. Veterinarians, a high risk and educated group, were interviewed, and only 7 out of 72 were found to have been vaccinated. Major improvements in surveillance and reporting, better control of animal rabies, more awareness especially among high risk groups, and regional cooperation, are all needed to prevent and control this deadly infection.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the epidemiological and economic burden of the health services demand due to diabetes and hypertension in Mexico.METHODS Evaluation study based on a time series study that had as a universe of study the assured and uninsured population that demands health services from the three main institutions of the Health System in Mexico: The Health Department, the Mexican Institute of Social Security, and Institute of Services and Social Security for State Workers. The financing method was based on instrumentation and consensus techniques for medium case management. In order to estimate the epidemiological changes and financial requirements, a time series of observed cases for diabetes and hypertension 1994–2013 was integrated. Probabilistic models were developed based on the Box-Jenkins technique for the period of 2013–2018 with 95% confidence intervals and p < 0.05.RESULTS Comparing results from 2013 versus 2018, in the five regions, different incremental trends of 14%–17% in epidemiological changes and 58%-66% in the economic burden for both diseases were observed.CONCLUSIONS If the risk factors and the different models of care remained as they currently are in the three institutions analyzed, the financial consequences would be of greater impact for the Mexican Institute of Social Security, following in order of importance the Institute of Services and Social Security for State Workers and lastly the Health Department. The financial needs for both diseases will represent approximately 13%–15% of the total budget allocated to the uninsured population and 15%–17% for the population insured depending on the region.

Summary Middle‐income countries are experiencing a significant growth of tobacco consumption‐related diseases, while their health systems lack the financial capacity to face them. Existing studies provide a general economic measurement of the problem but give no detailed evidence on the actual financial needs. The aim of this study was to measure the health care costs and financial consequences of the epidemiological changes related to tobacco consumption. A time‐series analysis for 2000 to 2016 was carried out in a national reference hospital in Mexico. We developed probabilistic models following the Box‐Jenkins methodology to forecast the expected changes in the epidemiologic profile and the health care services required for selected interventions. Health care costs were estimated following the instrumentation methods and validated with consensus technique. Comparing the epidemiological and economic burden in 2017 vs. 2019, there is a 20% to 90% increase in expected cases depending of the disease (p < .001) and a 25% to 93% increase in financial requirements (p < .001). Our data suggest that changes in the number of expected cases during the study period highlight the process of internal competition and add an element of intrinsic competition in the financial management of preventive and curative interventions.

BackgroundDespite more than 20 years of reform projects in health systems, the universal coverage strategy has not reached the expected results in most middle-income countries (MICs). Using evidence from the Mexican case on diabetes and hypertension as tracers of non-communicable diseases, the effective coverage rate barely surpasses half of the expected goals necessary to meet the challenges that these two diseases represent at the population level. Prevalence and incidence rates do not diminish either; they even grow. In terms of the economic burden, this means that lack of financial protection and catastrophic expense rates have increased, contrary to what could have been expected.DiscussionAs any complex system, health systems present challenges and dilemmas that are difficult to solve. In terms of universal coverage, when contrasting normative coverage versus effective coverage, the epidemiological, cultural, organizational and economic challenges and barriers become evident. Such challenges have not allowed a greater effectiveness of the contributions of state of the art medicine in the resolution of health problems, particularly in relation to diabetes and hypertension.ConclusionsDespite of the existence of many universal coverage projects, strategies and programs implemented in MICs, challenges remain and, far from disappearing, unresolved problems are still present, even with increasing trends. The model of care based on a curative biomedical approach was enough to respond to the health needs of the last century, but is no longer adapted to the needs of the present century. The dilemmas of continuity vs. rupture require to review and discuss the background and structure of health systems and their underlying models of care. These two elements have not allowed the different coverage schemes to guarantee greater effectiveness in the application of state of the art medicine, nor a greater health care financial protection for patients and their families. We thus can either accept the fragmented health systems and bio-medical-curative models of care approach or, instead, we can move towards integrated health systems that would be based on a socio-medical-preventive approach to health care.