Smart Spending for Health: Social Protection and Health Division Regional Policy Dialogue Report 2023

The "Smart Spending for Health" Regional Policy Dialogue, hosted by the IDB's Social Protection and Health Department in Washington D.C. from October 2-4, brought together more than 120 leaders to address the efficiency of health spending in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the face of fiscal constraints and increasing demands, the Dialogue highlighted the strategic allocation of health resources as a way to achieve health goals within existing budgets. With a focus on fostering collaboration between ministries of finance and health, the event navigated through optimizing spending on primary health care, health networks, hospitals and pharmaceuticals. This report summarizes the presentations and dialogues from the event, providing guidance for informed health policy development towards Universal Health Coverage.