The future of Mexican Healthcare under President Sheinbaum

On October 1, 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as the first female president in the history of Mexico. She wasted no time getting to work, announcing 100 commitments to the people of Mexico in her inaugural speech on that day.

Sheinbaum’s term as president will last until 2030, and her Morena political party also holds a supermajority in the Mexican Congress. This would indicate that she should have an open path forward in making many of her policy proposals a reality, but time will tell how many are viable and ultimately take hold in the country.

An Eye on the Transition

What also remains to be seen is how many of the ideas of her predecessor, López Obrador, are retained as President Sheinbaum gets to work. While in office, President Obrador faced several challenges related to medication availability and distribution. The issues grew so intense in recent years that parents of children with cancer took to the streets and blocked traffic to protest the lack of life-saving cancer medications such as chemotherapy. Anesthesiologists in Mexico had to reuse vials of morphine due to lack of availability, which led to outbreaks of meningitis that killed dozens of people.

These developments and others led to Obrador announcing the creation of a “mega pharmacy” in late 2023. This government-owned, 43,000-square-foot facility is intended to house and distribute any medication that Mexican patients might need.

Though Sheinbaum publicly declared during her inauguration speech that she would “maintain all of the president’s programs,” we will see if time tells a different story. In the meantime, she outlined a very ambitious plan for the future of Mexican healthcare. I’ll touch on some of the highlights of her policy proposals here, and how those proposals might impact healthcare equipment manufacturers and suppliers.

A Bold New Future

President Sheinbaum’s inauguration speech on October 1 was broad and sweeping, outlining a total of 100 commitments. She touched on several significant healthcare reforms, including the following:

• Stronger universal healthcare. Though Mexico already has a universal healthcare system, Sheinbaum aims to strengthen it in the coming years and ensure that all citizens have access to essential care and services. This includes treatments such as lab tests, surgeries, preventive care, vaccinations, and medications. She plans to start with the existing IMSS-Bienestar program and consolidate it as the leading healthcare system in Mexico.
• Improved medication access. Access to critical drugs has been a problem in Mexico for years, and Sheinbaum vowed to change that with a “Pharmacies for Wellbeing” program beginning in 2025. This plan would open pharmacies next to Wellbeing Banks to provide free basic medications, especially for those most in need, such as the elderly.
• Education to fight obesity. Sheinbaum also acknowledged the epidemic of obesity facing Mexico currently, as well as its associated complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure and more. Her proposal is a national education campaign focused on public spaces, schools and workplaces to reinforce the importance of making healthy choices and avoiding unhealthy foods.
• Support for the elderly. Enhanced care for the elderly was a major focus of Sheinbaum’s proposals, and many of her commitments to the Mexican people aimed to improve elder care. Some of the highlights included door-to-door healthcare for the elderly, better access to essential drugs and services, and improved availability for important surgeries like cataract or knee surgeries.
• A commitment to women’s health. Sheinbaum also promoted women’s health almost as strongly as elder care, with a commitment to ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health services for women. She also committed to supporting women and infants through the first 1,000 days of life with supportive care, vitamins and supplements, the promotion of breastfeeding, and more.
• Better health services at schools. Sheinbaum also plans to enhance the availability of healthcare services at public schools, including vision care, dental care, addiction prevention, and other mental health services.

How Sheinbaum’s Policies May Impact Manufacturers & Suppliers

As you can see, President Sheinbaum’s proposals for the healthcare industry are broad and far-reaching. If enacted, they will have major implications for hospitals, medical centers, and all the manufacturers and suppliers for the Mexican healthcare industry.

Of course, it remains to be seen how many of President Sheinbaum’s major proposals will become realities in the years ahead, as well as how many of former President Obrador’s healthcare policies will be retained. But if even a fraction of her many proposals are enacted into law and implemented, there is no question that healthcare manufacturers and suppliers will have many great opportunities awaiting them.

In particular, companies that focus in pharmaceuticals, women’s health, and elder care may stand to make gains under President Sheinbaum’s proposals, as all three areas were key focuses of her inauguration speech commitments. Sheinbaum also seemed to focus on expanding healthcare access to areas not previously seen, such as schools and homes. Medical supplies and equipment that are easily transportable may be another area to keep an eye on in the years ahead.

Overall, major healthcare reforms were such a key component of President Sheinbaum’s inauguration speech that it’s safe to anticipate some major developments in Mexico in the years ahead. Especially when you consider that her political party has a supermajority in Mexico’s Congress, so she most likely will have the support she needs to turn her ideas into reality.