Bolivian maternal and child health policies: Successes and failures

In addition, with respect to the decline in maternal and neonatal mortality rates, the SBS plan also yielded the best results because, unlike the two other plans, it covered women of childbearing age and promoted access to sexual and reproductive health and family planning services that increased the use of modern birth control methods. [...] Since the implementation of SUMI in 2003, two concerns have become evident: (i) improvement in maternal-child health indicators has diminished and the situation has worsened in the case of maternal mortality; and (ii) the gaps widened between urban and rural, indigenous and non- indigenous populations as the plan’s benefits accrued mostly to people living in urban areas. [...] the errors and weaknesses of the previous policies by taking into account lessons learned from previous experiences: Conclusions It is necessary to design and implement policies and interventions adapted to the needs of Over the last 15 years, maternal and child health was the priority of different Bolivian governments rural areas and the indigenous population and to focus on the reduction of th. [...] Since the implementation of SUMI in 2003, two concerns have become evident: (i) improvement in maternal-child health indicators has diminished and the situation has worsened in the case About the authors of maternal mortality; and (ii) the gaps widened between urban and rural, indigenous and non- indigenous populations as the plan’s benefits accrued mostly to people living in urban areas. [...] Ricardo Batista is a PAHO/WHO Epidemiologist and Research Given the stagnation in health indicators and even the reversal of gains since SUMI was Consultant in Central America and was in charge of Surveillance and Health Analysis in the implemented, Bolivia is facing a difficult challenge to achieve the MDGs.