Health Challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean

4^th Sector Health places emphasis on health issues that disproportionately affect the region's low-income and underserved populations.

Maternal and Child Health

• Each year 22,000 women die in childbirth and 400,000 children die before reaching their fifth birthday in Latin America and the Caribbean
• The poorest 20% of the population endures about 40% of the under-five child deaths
• Child mortality is mainly due to preventable or treatable conditions such as malnutrition and infectious and respiratory diseases
• Low birthweight, asphyxia and sepsis are responsible for 40% of neonatal deaths

Most maternal and neonatal deaths can be prevented by improving prenatal and delivery care and improving the mother's nutrition and health status. Simple interventions such as education on breastfeeding can save millions of infant lives.

Reproductive Health

• 50 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections occur each year in the Americas
• Contraception use exceeds 60%, but rates are lowest in Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Venezuela
• Unsafe abortions cause one in three maternal deaths in the region
• Each year 2 million births are delivered by mothers between the ages of 15-19

Programs for sex education to youth and increasing access to condoms and family planning can reduce the rate of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.

HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

• In 2005 there were an estimated 1.94 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean
• The Caribbean has the world's second highest adult HIV prevalence rate at 2-3%

Information, education and communication programs are critical to preventing HIV and reducing stigma, especially among high-risk populations.

• Over 466,000 people have tuberculosis in Latin America and the Caribbean, and over 50,000 die each year
• Tuberculosis affects the poorest and most vulnerable groups: migrants, urban slum residents, prisoners and indigenous populations

Early detection of tuberculosis and integrated screening and care for tuberculosis along with HIV/AIDS is an effective way to treat both diseases.

• 882,361 cases of malaria were reported in the region in 2004; 264 million + people are at risk of infection
• Countries with Amazon forest have 91% of Latin America's malaria cases, Brazil constitutes more than 50% of the cases

Encouraging at-risk populations to sleep under mosquito nets is a very simple intervention to prevent infection.

Neglected Tropical Diseases

• Neglected tropical diseases, most of which are parasitic, affect mainly the poor, reinforcing the cycle of poverty
• Of the 18 million people infected with Chagas' disease in the Americas, over 6 million will develop serious heart and digestive conditions, and 21,000 die yearly from the disease
• An estimated 150,000 people in the region are infected with onchocerciasis, which can lead to blindness

There are effective, low-cost interventions to treat neglected tropical diseases and prevent new infections through vector control.

Chronic Diseases

• Cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer and diabetes account for two-thirds of all deaths in the region
• In Mexico, hospitalization for hypertension and diabetes alone cost more than out-patient services for infectious diseases

Risk factors for chronic diseases such as unhealthy diet and lack of exercise can be addressed through awareness raising and screening programs.