Health Care and Health Challenges Facing the Elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean

Alberto Palloni, professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has worked on a large scale, long-term project involving data collection on health conditions and demand for health care of the elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean countries including Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay. In this interview, Palloni discusses major research findings, the burden of non-communicable diseases in the region (especially smoking), and potential policy implications.