title: [Decentralization of health services: case studies in six Mexican states].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article discusses the effects of the second decentralization of the Mexican Ministry of Health (1994-2000).
  
  
  METHODS
  It is based on a review of official and archival documents, health and productivity statistics, observations in clinics and hospitals, and 232 in-depth interviews in the states of Baja California Sur, Colima, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, Sonora and Tamaulipas. The interviewees included high-level administrators of state and district health systems, leaders of workers unions, health providers and representatives of civil society.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The article identifies the problems that offices of health at state level had to overcome to implement the decentralization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Descentralizacion failed to achieve the objectives stated by its promoters.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Texas-Houston, Houston, Texas, USA. nhomedes@utep.edu
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Homedes
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ugalde
mesh_terms: D057172:Economic Recession; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006298:Health Services Administration; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011057:Politics; D036301:Qualitative Research