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  • Title: [Latin America's general situation and its impact on maternal-child health].
    Author: Quezada Aliff T.
    Journal: Cienc Soc; 1989; 14(1):51-60. PubMed ID: 12342850.
    Abstract:
    Latin America's current economic, social, and political situation is characterized by significantly deteriorating exchange rates, increasing inflation in most countries, and increases in unemployment and underemployment. The additional effects of the crushing external debt and its conditions of renegotiation cannot fail to effect the health of the most vulnerable population groups, women and children. The crisis is affecting middle income as well as low income groups. Latin America as a whole underwent impressive economic growth and modernization through the late 1970s. Most countries were transformed from agrarian to urban-industrial societies with growth in their secondary and tertiary sectors stimulating social mobility. But problems of unequal income distribution, increasing absolute numbers of poor including 51.3 million under 15, and insufficient demand for labor continue to plague the region. Substantial improvements were made in both health status and health care delivery through the late 1970s in most of the region, but the prolonged economic crisis of the 1980s has led among other things to decreasing governmental expenditures for social services, cuts in food subsidies, decreased social spending per capita, and deteriorating basic infrastructure and health and educational services. Declining quality and quantity of health services have been accompanied by a growing trend to private services as a way of decreasing government expenditures even further. It is possible that the health indicators currently in use do not adequately reflect the total consequences of the economic crisis. Health conditions do not depend on the situation of the moment but on a certain accumulated social capital. Moreover, massive vaccination programs and other campaigns sponsored by international and national organizations have continued despite the crisis. Limitations in the timeliness and quality of data may obscure the true gravity of the health situation. Studies in the region indicate increases in malnutrition in most countries, while infant mortality data do not thus far appear to reflect the worsening social and economic conditions in the region. A series of new indicators should be developed that would allow assessment of the effects of economic and social changes on all population sectors.
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