Health and Poverty in Guatemala

Unlike many other countries in Latin America, Guatemala is only at the beginning of the demographic, and epidemiological transition. The population is young, is growing rapidly, and is still primarily rural. Guatemala is among the worst performers in terms of health outcomes in Latin America, with one of the highest infant mortality rates, and one of the lowest life expectancies at birth. Major causes of death in Guatemala still include treatable, and communicable diseases, such as diarrhea, pneumonia, cholera, malnutrition, and tuberculosis. A significant share of Guatemalans lack access to health care services. A combination of both supply- and demand-side constraints limit the ability of households to seek health care services in Guatemala, with supply-side constraints playing a more dominant role in rural areas than urban. Some progress has been made in reforming the health sector. Important steps have been taken on the institutional side, with health being one of the pilot ministries to decentralize financial management under the Integrated System for Health Care (SIAS program). Public spending has shifted toward preventive care, which is essential for treating the health problems faced by the poor. Despite these efforts, spending and health outcomes has not improved significantly. In addition, public spending on health is not well targeted. Overall, public health spending benefits the highest quintiles disproportionately, By type of facility, public spending on hospitals is by far the more regressive.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Marini, Alessandra, Gragnolati, Michele
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2003-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, ACCIDENTS, ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS, ADEQUATE HEALTH, ADOLESCENTS, AGED, AGING, ALCOHOLISM, AVERAGE AGE, BABIES, BASIC HEALTH CARE, BASIC HEALTH SERVICES, BIRTH CONTROL, BIRTHS, CARE SERVICES, CAUSES OF DEATH, CHILD HEALTH, CHILD MORTALITY, CHILDBEARING, CHILDREN PER WOMAN, CHOLERA, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS, CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS, CONTRACEPTIVE USE, CONTRACEPTIVES AMONG ADOLESCENTS, DEATHS, DIARRHEA, DISCRIMINATION, DOCTORS, EMPLOYMENT, EPIDEMICS, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHANGES, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TRANSITION, ETHNIC GROUPS, EXTREME POVERTY, FAMILIES, FAMILY PLANNING, FIRST BIRTH, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CARE SERVICES, HEALTH CENTERS, HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH COSTS, HEALTH FACILITIES, HEALTH FACILITY, HEALTH FINANCING, HEALTH FOR ALL, HEALTH INDICATORS, HEALTH MINISTRIES, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH POSTS, HEALTH SECTOR, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH STATUS, HIGH FERTILITY, HOSPITALS, HUMAN RIGHTS, ILLITERACY, IMMUNIZATION, IMMUNIZATION COVERAGE, INCOME, INFANT MORTALITY, INFANT MORTALITY RATE, INFANT MORTALITY RATES, INFECTIONS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INHABITANTS, LIFE EXPECTANCY, LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH, LIVE BIRTHS, MALNUTRITION, MIDWIVES, MIGRANT POPULATION, MIGRANTS, MIGRATION, MODERN MEDICINE, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, MORTALITY RATE, MOTHERS, OLDER MOTHERS, PARASITIC DISEASES, PARENTS, PATIENTS, POLICY RESEARCH, POPULATION GROWTH, PREGNANCIES, PREGNANCY, PRENATAL CARE, PRIMARY CARE, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, PRIVATE SECTOR, PROBABILITY, PROSTITUTION, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC HOSPITALS, PUBLIC SERVICES, REPRODUCTIVE AGE, REPRODUCTIVE YEARS, RISK OF ACCIDENTS, SELF-MEDICATION, SEXUALLY ACTIVE, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, SIBLINGS, SUGAR, TOTAL FERTILITY RATE, TOTAL POPULATION, TRADITIONAL VALUES, TUBERCULOSIS, URBAN AREAS, USE OF CONTRACEPTIVES, VIOLENCE, VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS, WORKERS, WORKFORCE, YOUNG PEOPLE, YOUTH,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/01/2132764/health-poverty-guatemala https://hdl.handle.net/10986/19187
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