[Analysis of health policies, a new field?]

Health policies are discussed within the framework of State Programs, reviewing its origins as a field of study in the United States, Latin America and Europe. The efforts to develop research and teaching in this area in Mexico are analyzed. A definition of health policies is proposed, as "the set of decisions, actions, and omissions that reflect, in a given time and place, the State's position on the health problems of the population". The difference between "policies" and "politics" is discussed, and the development of public policies is briefly reviewed. The reasons for including this area of study in the Master's degree in a public health curriculum are given.