Presented the progress in reducing child and maternal mortality

"Preventing maternal and infant death is the best company we can take, but it is a task that can not face alone, so glad that the plan we are presenting is the result of work agreed with the provinces," said Manzur at Sala Pablo Picasso Paseo La Plaza, opened the conference "From strategy to action", organized by the national health portfolio in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF).

The event was attended by the Resident Coordinator of UN System in Argentina, Santiago Martín, the secretary of health policies and programs of the Ministry of Health, Maximum Diosque and Community Health Undersecretary of the ministry, Guillermo Gonzalez Prieto. Present were also the ministers of Health in Santiago del Estero, Luis Martinez, Formosa, Anibal Gomez, Misiones, Jose Guccione, Chaco, Jujuy Francisco Baquero, Victor Urbani, Tucumán, Paul Yedlin and La Rioja, Gustavo Graselli .

"Continue on the path of decreasing maternal and infant mortality in the country is our duty but also are two of the goals posed by the Millennium Development Goals, established in the framework of the World Health Organization," said Manzur -and we are moving forward with technical rigor, scientific and political support to achieve the success of the initiative. "

He added that "we know that these goals are not achieved from one day to the other and is also a fact that these indicators, infant mortality are inversely proportional to the level of schooling that mothers have, so the task is immense and cuts across all state policies. "

For its part, the UN representative in the country celebrated the "effort of Argentina" by submitting a plan to reduce maternal and infant death, a cause which he said "killed more than half a million women in the world complications of childbirth. " He added that "worldwide is producing about 20 million births per year in bad conditions, situations that kill 15 percent of mothers and of the 175 million pregnancies each year, more than half are unwanted."

In Argentina, the results of maternal health, children, adolescents and women are still not satisfactory when compared mortality rates with other nations in the region. In turn, the distribution of mortality in the country is very uneven: a newborn or a pregnant woman are more likely to live in Patagonia or the city of Buenos Aires in the Northwest (NOA) and Northeast ( NEA). For example, in the province of Neuquén neonatal mortality is half the national rate, while other districts triple those numbers.

The infant mortality rate in Argentina fell from 13.3 per thousand live births in 2007 to 12.5 per thousand live births in 2008. Regarding the maternal mortality rate, which reflects the risk of death of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period and is calculated every ten thousand live births rose from 4.4 per ten thousand live births in 2007-4 ten thousand live births in 2008.

The picture in the provinces is dissimilar and that is why each has its own goals within the framework of implementing the plan.

2007
2008
2011 Target

Chaco
2.21

18
7.13
Santiago del Estero
8.13

4.10
10
Formosa
9.22

2.19
5.15
Missions
6.14

9.13
10.9
Jujuy
2.15

14

11










To reduce these rates, the plan promoted by the national health portfolio, through the Ministry of Health Promotion and Programs, focuses on identifying the main causes that trigger the death of women, adolescents, boys and girls in the country to act on them and has as main objectives the reduction of infant mortality (in its two components: neonatal and post neonatal), maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy unplanned, the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer and expenses hospital for abortion.

In general, the aim is to focus on management processes, human resources, supplies and infrastructure that are an obstacle to proper care for the population in each province. This involves the coordinated work between the Ministry of Health of the Nation and provincial ministries.

During the day today, officials of national health portfolio detailing the progress in relation to in-service training, progress in the diagnosis of cervical cancer and perinatal building networks.

Also addressed the "Strategies implemented to reduce access barriers in sexual health and responsible procreation."

Finally, the Center for the Study of State and Society (CEDES) has planned the launch of the Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health (OSSyR) from Argentina.