Inequity in Pediatric Care in Argentina

The maternal and child health situation in Argentina is critical. While Argentina is the Latin American country with the largest health expenditure per capita (US$800/year) the infant mortality rate is relatively high (about 20 per 1,000). The infant mortality rate in Argentina is higher than in many other countries in the region which spend much less on health (e.g. Chile, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Uruguay). Uruguay, Chile and Costa Rica also exhibit a higher life expectancy at birth. Argentina also has high maternal mortality rate (44 per 100,000 in 1995) which is above the maternal mortality rates in Chile, Uruguay and Cuba. The discouraging results on the above two health status indicators are the result of deficient preventive and curative care, which leads to lower life expectancy. We will now discuss certain inequities in the economic and health systems which have a negative impact on the above mentioned health status indicators that affect the health and quality of life of vast sectors of the population in Argentina.