Argentina's already deficient healthcare system has only been aggravated by the recent economic crisis. Six main factors can explain the acute effects of the crisis on the health sector:

• A deterioration in the financing of different subsystems (private and public healthcare programs)
• A rise in the cost of imported medications and biomedical inputs as a result of currency devaluation
• An increase in the need for public hospital services
• Higher epidemiological risks
• Emotional instability due to the inability to deal with the new economic status and political situation.

Many could not afford medical care after the economic crash, leading to further health declines in many impoverished communities. Results from the 2002 Permanent Household Survey found that 57 percent of households from the poorer quintile of the population admit to a decrease of frequency in which they take their children in for medical visits. In addition, the Argentina Ministry of Health estimated that in 2001, 30 percent of the infant population did not have access to vaccinations. The deterioration of preventative health care on top of weakened national and provincial basic health programs is expected to lead to increased morbidity and mortality among the population—drastically escalating epidemiological risks.

Changes in the mental and emotional status of individuals are being observed, with a higher percentage of surveyed households reporting that they feel discouraged or without hope for the future. Mental illnesses are already recording exponential growth in the number of emergency consultations, while suicide appears to be increasing among adolescents. This leads to another highly problematic, yet very popular, coping strategy—the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Survey results showed major increases in alcohol consumption amongst men, women, adolescents, and adults in recent decades.

Since the quality of care and service provided by the public and private sectors has worsened due to lack of funds, the need for grassroots public health programs is high. Community education and awareness, as well as the establishment of mental health support groups, are essential steps to promote preventative health care, and to create a sane, healthy, and productive population. This demand for community public health programs is one in which FSD host organizations directly address by enacting local health initiatives that reach the people who are in greatest need.

Read more about Health programs and opportunities initiated by our Community Partners in Argentina.

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