Political economy analysis of primary health care-oriented reforms: a case study on the reorientation of the health system in Uruguay

Overview

This case study set out to identify the political economy factors that shaped the trajectory, implementation pathway and results of Uruguay’s primary health care–oriented health system reforms and to discuss the different types of politics in this reform process. The case study examines Uruguay’s comprehensive national health reform since 2007, which has been guided by the central goal to reorient the model of care towards the PHC approach. The case study is part of the Political Economy Analysis of Primary Health Care–oriented Reforms Country Case Study Series of WHO’s PHC Implementation Solutions Initiative. The initiative aims to explore how countries have achieved success in scaling up PHC-oriented health systems by documenting and sharing lessons from the vantage point of policy-makers and practitioners across contexts.