Wikipedia

Asa Cristina Laurell

Asa Cristina Laurell is a Mexican sociologist who has had a long career in both research and government positions.[1] She grew up in Sweden, but her education eventually brought her to Mexico. In Mexico, she was awarded two degrees and conducted research that focused on health policy, including ensuring access to health care for people in Mexico and various other Latin American countries. She is known for her role in helping to found the Latin American Association of Social Medicine (ALAMES), as well as the contributions she has made to widening access to health care for Mexicans during her time in government.[2] This included serving as Undersecretary of Integration and Development at the Ministry of Health in Mexico.

Asa Cristina Laurell
Born
Asa Cristina Laurell

(1943-12-20) 20 December 1943 (age 80)
Sweden
NationalityMexican
Alma materLund University
University of California, Berkeley
National University of Misiones
Universidad Autonama Xochimilco
Known forSociology and healthcare in Mexico
Scientific career
FieldsSociology and Health
InstitutionsMexican Government

Early life edit

Laurell was born 20 December 1943 in Sweden and grew up there.[1][3]

Education edit

Laurell received her undergraduate degree with a specialization in medical surgery from the University of Lund. She graduated from the University of Lund in 1967 and then went on to study on a scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley. She was active politically during her undergraduate studies. She actively partook in many protests, many of which were against the Vietnam War.[3] She obtained her master's degree in Public Health with a specialty in epidemiology and graduated and then emigrated to Mexico in 1971. After she moved to Mexico, she spent time working, before attending the Universidad Nacional de Misiones of Argentina (UNAM). She graduated from Universidad Nacional de Misiones of Argentina in 1987, with a doctorate in sociology.[4] In 1988, she entered the National System of Researchers.[5]

Career edit

Academic work edit

After emigrating to Mexico she was offered a position at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She worked there from 1972 to 1976 as a professor and a researcher. In 1976, she was offered a position at the Universidad Autonama Xochimilco (UAM X). Her main job was as a researcher and she focused on health disease as a social process. During her time at this university she studied social medicine, social classes, and work processes. During this time, she published papers that discussed how neoliberal health policies in various Latin American countries could be more progressive to help more patients.[6] During her time in academia, she was also a founding member of an organization called the Latin American Association of Social Medicine (ALAMES). This organization was founded in 1984 and is a public health group that is focused on "a social, political, and academic movement aimed at guiding public health and social medicine toward resolution of the historical and social determinants of the health-disease care process."[7]

Political work edit

Laurell has also been a prominent figure in politics in Mexico.[citation needed] In 2000, the Head of the Government of the Federal District in Mexico asked her to become the Secretary of Health. She held this position until 2006.[3] During her time as the Secretary of Health, she implemented many programs and began fighting for universal health care in Mexico. In her time in this position, she was described as having a "vision of a fully tax-funded, free at the point-of-care health system integrating financing and provision."[8] While working as the Secretary of Health, she implemented a Free Medication and Medical Services Program (PSMMG). This program was aimed to provide access to health care and medication to all Mexican citizens and was adopted in 2006.[9] In 2006, she resigned from her position in order to work for Andrés Manuel López Obrador in his campaign for president. In 2018, Andres invited her to work for him and she became the Undersecretary of Integration and Development of the Ministry of Health. In this position she helped champion the transformation of Mexican health care which included the aim of ensuring that all Mexicans have access to free health care and medication, regardless of their socioeconomic status.[10] She resigned in July 2020 due to a personal disagreement with the president's health policy.[11]

Latin American Association of Social Medicine (ALAMES) edit

The Latin American Association of Social Medicine (ALAMES) was founded by a group of sociologists, political figures, and public health experts from various Latin American countries in 1984.[7] Laurell was one of the founding members of this group and continues to contribute to this day.[4] This group is focused on improving health care practices by guiding politicians and lawmakers to consider socioeconomic classes, including the social detriments that can affect people's access to health care. This group now exists in some form in all countries on the American continent.[7]

Publications edit

  • Lasting Lessons From Social Ideas and Movements of the Sixties on Latin American Public Health published in the American Journal of Public Health, May 2018 [12]
  • Social policy and health policy in Latin America: a field of political struggle, published in Cadernos de Saúde Pública, July 2017 [13]
  • Three Decades of Neoliberalism in Mexico: The Destruction of Society, published in the International Journal of Health Services, Mar 2015 [14]
  • Contradicciones en salud: sobre acumulación y legitimidad en los gobiernos neoliberales y sociales de derecho en América Latina, published in Saúde em Debate, Nov 2014 [15]
  • The right to health: What model for Latin America?, published in The Lancet, October 2014 [16]
  • Mexican Health Insurance: Uncertain universal coverage, published in Ciencia & saude coletiva, May 2011 [17]
  • Can Insurance Guarantee Universal Access to Health Services?, published in Social Medicine, Nov 2010 [18]
  • La Segunda Reforma de Salud. Aseguramiento y compra-venta de servicios, published in Salud colectiva, August 2010 [19]
  • WHO and pandemic flu. What happened in Mexico, published in BMJ, June 2010 [20]
  • An Overview of Latin American Health Policies and Debates, published in Social Medicine, March 2010 [21]
  • What happened in Mexico, published in BMJ Clinical Research, December 2009 [22]
  • Bringing Latin America's Progressive Health Reforms Out of the Closet, published in Social Medicine, June 2008 [23]
  • Health Reform in Mexico City, 2000–2006, published in Social Medicine, June 2008 [24]
  • Health System Reform in Mexico: A Critical Review, published in International Journal of Health Services, January 2007 [25]
  • What Does Latin American Social Medicine Do When It Governs? The Case of the Mexico City Government, published in the American Journal of Public Health, December 2003 [26]
  • Health Reform in Mexico: The Promotion of Inequality, published in the International Journal of Health Services, January 2001 [27]
  • Structural Adjustment and the Globalization of Social Policy in Latin America, published in International Sociology, May 2000 [28]
  • The Mexican Social Security Counter reform: Pensions for Profit, published in the International Journal of Health Services, March 1999 [29]
  • For a new welfare state in Latin America, published in Lua Nova Revista de Cultura e Política, November 1997 [30]
  • Market Commodities and Poor Relief: The World Bank Proposal for Health, published in the International Journal of Health Services, January 1996[31]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Cristina Laurell, A. (February 2005). "Entrevista de Salud Pública de México a la Dra. Asa Cristina Laurell, Secretaria de Salud del Distrito Federal". Salud Pública de México. 47 (1): 82–86. doi:10.1590/s0036-36342005000100013. ISSN 0036-3634. PMID 15759918.
  2. ^ "Public Health in Latin America - Asa Cristina Laurell". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  3. ^ a b c "Asa Cristina Laurell". Líderes Mexicanos. Archived from the original on 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  4. ^ a b "Public Health in Latin America - Asa Cristina Laurell". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  5. ^ "Asa Cristina Laurell". Líderes Mexicanos. Archived from the original on 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  6. ^ Editores, Los (2007-01-20). "Entrevista a la Dra. Asa Cristina Laurell, Secretaria de Salud del Gobierno Legítimo en México". Medicina Social (in Spanish). 2 (1): 52–61. ISSN 1557-7112.
  7. ^ a b c Tajer, Débora (December 2003). "Latin American Social Medicine: Roots, Development During the 1990s, and Current Challenges". American Journal of Public Health. 93 (12): 2023–2027. doi:10.2105/AJPH.93.12.2023. ISSN 0090-0036. PMC 1448144. PMID 14652326.
  8. ^ Nightingale, Stuart L. (1998-12-02). "New FDA Web Site for Health Care Professionals". JAMA. 280 (21): 1817. doi:10.1001/jama.280.21.1817-jfd80011-2-1. ISSN 0098-7484.
  9. ^ "Interview with Dr. Asa Cristina Laurell, Health Secretary of Mexico's Legitimate Government". Social Medicine. 2 (1): 46–55. 2007. ISSN 1557-7112.
  10. ^ Salud, Secretaría de. "Meet the Health Project in the Fourth Transformation". gob.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  11. ^ "Asa Cristina Laurell reprocha estrategia de Salud". heraldodemexico.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  12. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2018-05-09). "Lasting Lessons From Social Ideas and Movements of the Sixties on Latin American Public Health". American Journal of Public Health. 108 (6): 730–731. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304416. ISSN 0090-0036. PMC 5944887. PMID 29741947.
  13. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2017). "Social policy and health policy in Latin America: a field of political struggle". Cadernos de Saúde Pública. 33 (Suppl 2): e00043916. doi:10.1590/0102-311x00043916. ISSN 0102-311X. PMID 28767809.
  14. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2015-03-26). "Three Decades of Neoliberalism in Mexico: The Destruction of Society". International Journal of Health Services. 45 (2): 246–64. doi:10.1177/0020731414568507. PMID 25813500. S2CID 35915954.
  15. ^ ":::[ DocPro ]:::". docvirt.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  16. ^ Heredia, Nila; Laurell, Asa Cristina; Feo, Oscar; Noronha, José; González-Guzmán, Rafael; Torres-Tovar, Mauricio (2015-04-04). "The right to health: what model for Latin America?". The Lancet. 385 (9975): e34–e37. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61493-8. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 25458721. S2CID 34006449.
  17. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (June 2011). "Los seguros de salud mexicanos: cobertura universal incierta". Ciência & Saúde Coletiva (in Spanish). 16 (6): 2795–2806. doi:10.1590/S1413-81232011000600018. ISSN 1413-8123. PMID 21709977.
  18. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2010). "Can Insurance Guarantee Universal Access to Health Services?". Social Medicine. 5 (3): 137–138. ISSN 1557-7112.
  19. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina; Ronquillo, Joel Herrera (2010-08-06). "La Segunda Reforma de Salud. Aseguramiento y compra-venta de servicios". Salud Colectiva (in Spanish). 6 (2): 137–148. doi:10.18294/sc.2010.362. ISSN 1851-8265.
  20. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina; Herrera, Joel R. (2010-06-29). "WHO and pandemic flu. What happened in Mexico". BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.). 340: c3465. doi:10.1136/bmj.c3465. ISSN 1756-1833. PMID 20587575. S2CID 33711967.
  21. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2010). "An Overview of Latin American Health Policies and Debates". Social Medicine. 5 (1): 50–57. ISSN 1557-7112.
  22. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina; Herrera, Joel R. (2010-06-29). "What happened in Mexico". BMJ. 340: c3465. doi:10.1136/bmj.c3465. ISSN 0959-8138. PMID 20587575. S2CID 33711967.
  23. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2008-07-08). "Bringing Latin America's Progressive Health Reforms Out of the Closet". Social Medicine. 3 (2): 54–56. ISSN 1557-7112.
  24. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2008-07-08). "Health Reform in Mexico City, 2000-2006". Social Medicine. 3 (2): 145–157. ISSN 1557-7112.
  25. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2016-06-23). "Health System Reform in Mexico: A Critical Review". International Journal of Health Services. 37 (3): 515–535. doi:10.2190/0133-572V-564N-4831. PMID 17844932. S2CID 39501826.
  26. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2003-12-01). "What Does Latin American Social Medicine Do When It Governs? The Case of the Mexico City Government". American Journal of Public Health. 93 (12): 2028–2031. doi:10.2105/AJPH.93.12.2028. ISSN 0090-0036. PMC 1448145. PMID 14652327.
  27. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2016-06-23). "Health Reform in Mexico: The Promotion of Inequality". International Journal of Health Services. 31 (2): 291–321. doi:10.2190/V1VX-BDQB-UHX7-FEGP. PMID 11407172. S2CID 24321329.
  28. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2016-06-29). "Structural Adjustment and the Globalization of Social Policy in Latin America". International Sociology. 15 (2): 306–325. doi:10.1177/0268580900015002010. S2CID 154493926.
  29. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (2020-03-13). "The Mexican Social Security Counterreform: Pensions for Profit". International Journal of Health Services. 29 (2): 371–391. doi:10.1177/002073149902900201. PMID 10379457.
  30. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina (1998). "Para um novo estado de bem estar na América Latina". Lua Nova: Revista de Cultura e Política (in Portuguese) (45): 187–204. doi:10.1590/S0102-64451998000300008. ISSN 0102-6445.
  31. ^ Laurell, Asa Cristina; Arellano, Oliva López (1996-01-01). "Market Commodities and Poor Relief: The World Bank Proposal for Health". International Journal of Health Services. 26 (1): 1–18. doi:10.2190/PBX9-N89E-4QFE-046V. PMID 8932599. S2CID 33501817.
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