Navigating Public Health Challenges in Casanare: A Behavioural Approach with Implications for Latin America

Abstract

Recent trends in Casanare, Colombia, have revealed a troubling increase in public health issues, particularly in the realms of gender-based and domestic violence, as well as suicide rates. These issues have shown a notable deviation from the national average, with cases of gender-based violence significantly increasing in the department (178 cases in 2023 alone) and with suicide rates growing by 35%, compared to national data.

Traditional public health interventions, based on models of perfect rationality, have proven insufficient to address these issues within the sociocultural context of Casanare. By integrating behavioral economics and taking into account human biases and irrationalities, this research aims to significantly improve the well-being of Casanare's vulnerable population in response to these public health events. A mixed-method explanatory model and tools for public policy analysis are employed.

The expected impact of the results of this study is the development of virtuous public policies that are not only more effective but also set a precedent for the formulation of policies with practical applications for the rest of the country and Latin America.