On October 21, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) presented the National Health Plan to enhance healthcare and improve access to medicines and treatments for all citizens lacking social security. In addition, he announced that in 2020 the sector will be awarded a further budget item of USD 2.1 billion to achieve these objectives. AMLO also explained that the “basis of the plan” will be the approval of the bill reforming the health system and creating the Institute of Health for Welfare (INSABI, for its acronym in Spanish), approved in the Chamber of Deputies Health Committee and ready to be discussed this week in the plenary.

The announcement was made at a press conference attended by the Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer Varela, who explained that “the objective of the Plan will be to improve quality and access to health services for the entire population.” The main axes are to:

• Ensure the supply of medicines and access to treatment for the population without social security.
• Promote inter-institutional work at all levels in the healthcare sector to improve the efficiency of the system.
• Promote investment in building infrastructure and human resources. 

The text approved in the committee may reach the chamber in the next few days for discussion and eventual approval after which it will be sent to the Senate for analysis by the corresponding committee before passing to the plenary. After that, and if no changes are incorporated, the initiative will pass to the Executive for enactment.