Latin America

Venezuela

Venezuela, on the northern coast of South America, has been ruled by democratically elected governments since 1959, and in 1999 adopted a new constitution and governmental reorganization. At the same time, newly elected president Hugo Chavez instituted a number of reforms to redistribute wealth and fund programs in health care and education, resulting in improved health for mothers and children. Venezuela has significant oil reserves, which account for about 30 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 90 percent of export earnings. The per capita income in 2008 was $13,500 and remains unevenly distributed with a Gini Index of 48.2; the top decile of households earns 35.2 percent of the income, versus 0.7 percent for the lowest decile, and poverty levels remain just below 50 percent of the population. In 2002, per-capita expenditures on health were $184, of which 46.9 percent was provided by the federal government. (Heinz, 100)

The 2009 population of Venezuela is estimated at 26.8 million, with 30.5 percent age 14 years or younger and 5.2 percent aged 65 years or older. The population growth rate is 1.5 percent, with a birth rate of 20.9 births per 1,000, a death rate of 5.1 deaths per 1,000, and a total fertility rate (an estimate of the number of children born to each woman) of 2.5. The sex ratio is 0.98 men per woman, and life expectancy at birth is 70.5 years for men and 76.8 years for women. The population is a mix of European, Arab, African, and indigenous peoples, with most (96 percent) Roman Catholic. Spanish is the official national language. Literacy is high and approximately equal for men (93.3 percent) and women (92.7 percent). (Heinz, 100)

Maternal and Child Health

Venezuela has made major improvements in maternal and child health in recent years; for instance, the maternal mortality rate was reduced from 172 deaths per 100,000 live newborns in 1940 to 68 per 100,000 in 2002. The infant mortality rate also dropped drastically during these years, from 123 per 1,000 live newborns in 1940 to 18.6 per 1,000 in 2002. Ninety percent of pregnant women received at least four prenatal care visits in 2001, and 94 percent of births were attended by skilled personnel. However, widespread poverty and malnutrition remain significant risks to a mother's health: for instance, in 2000, a study determined that 16.5 percent of women of reproductive age suffered from anemia, a percentage that rose to 22 percent among the poorest women. (Bailey, 12)

Save the Children, an international organization devoted to improving maternal and child health, places Venezuela in its Tier II or less developed countries, where it ranks 25th out of 66 countries on the Women's Index (taking into account factors such as life expectancy, maternal mortality, availability of modern contraception, and maternity leave benefits) and 24th out of 66 countries on the Mothers' Index (taking into account additional factors related to children's health and well-being, such as the under-5 mortality rate and gender parity in primary school enrollment). (Bailey, 12)

Peru

Peru, the third largest ...