Affiliating Domestic Workers to Social Security to be Mandatory

This week, INEGI reported that the main causes of death in Mexico in 2021 were COVID-19 and heart diseases. Domestic workers will receive social security benefits as their affiliation to IMSS is now mandatory. In international news, the WHO presented a report that highlights the economic and health costs of inactivity. 

Additionally, experts discussed the importance of regulation and innovation to improve healthcare. 

Ready for more? This is The Week in Health. 

 Social Security for Domestic Workers is Now Mandatory

The Chamber of Deputies approved a reform of the Social Security Law that makes affiliating domestic workers to social security mandatory. Domestic workers will now have access to several types of insurance, covering sickness, maternity leave, work risks, disability, retirement, unemployment in old age and nurseries, among other social benefits. “At the time domestic workers are insured, they will begin to accumulate weeks. Those who have worked before in another formal job will also have their accumulated weeks recognized,” said Zoe Robledo, Director General, IMSS. Read the full story on MBN. 

Physical Inactivity Costs Health Systems US$27 billion: WHO

Physical inactivity is linked with chronic diseases and premature death, warned the WHO in its Global status report on physical activity 2022. “This report issues a clear call to all countries for stronger and accelerated action by all relevant stakeholders working better together to achieve the global target of a 15 percent reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity by 2030,” said Ruediger Krech, Director Department of Health Promotion, WHO. 

In Mexico, over 16.5 percent of adults between 20 and 69 years do not meet the minimal WHO recommendation of physical activity, which involves between 150 and 300 minutes of exercise per week. Learn more about it here.

INEGI Reports 2021 Deaths and Mortality Statistics 

INEGI’s 2021 Deaths Characteristics Report found that the main cause of death for men was COVID-19, while heart disease was the main cause of death among women that year. The third cause of death for both groups was Diabetes Mellitus. Malignant tumors and influenza were in fourth and fifth place for both men and women. For children between one and nine years old, COVID-19 was the sixth cause of death. For infants under one year old, it was the seventh. Read more about it here. 

Collaborate, Innovate for a More Competitive Healthcare System

Collaboration, long-term strategic planning, political commitment and clinical research are some strategies that will allow countries to create the conditions to have a more competitive healthcare system, according to Yessika Moreno, Medical Affairs Director, Pfizer Mexico. 

“Collaboration strengthens the healthcare system’s vision and commitment to the long term. In addition, multisectoral communication facilitates learning from our peers, taking advantage of international experience, and a better understanding of the role each of us plays,” she explains. Read her whole Expert Contribution on MBN. 

Regulation of Medical Devices Ensures Patient Safety

While innovation in the medical devices sector aims to improve the user’s quality of life, regulation is also essential to ensure safety. As medical devices are so diverse, there cannot be a single regulation that covers them all, sometimes putting manufacturers in a difficult position. “Many times, the creation of medical devices begins without taking regulation into account and innovation is not leveraged,” explained María Ximena Ruíz, President, SOMIB’s National Regulatory Committee. Learn more about this on MBN.