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Argentina launches new plan to help expectant mothers

Xinhua, August 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

Argentina launched a new plan named "Qunita" this weekend to help new mothers, especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

At the moment of birth, mothers will receive a kit containing " a cot, linen, clothing for the mother and baby, a baby carrier, a breast protector, a teething ring, a pacifier, a digital thermometer, cotton, various creams, a rattle, a book of tales and a guide for the mother."

However, Nicolas Kreplak, Secretary of Community Health, explained that "Qunita is not only limited to the delivery of this kit. It constitutes a far larger policy, which aims to strengthen the early detection of pregnancies, guarantees the realization of five medical check-ups during the gestation period, provides references to safe maternity wards and ensures postpartum care."

In the wake of the announcement, the Argentinean Institute for Social Development (IDESA) published a report Sunday analyzing Qunita and pointing out that half of births in the country are carried out in poor social conditions.

According to IDESA, 16 percent of births in Argentina in 2013 were to mothers under 20 years of age. Furthermore, 53 percent of births came from teenage mothers or adults with a low level of education.

The IDESA report pointed out that experiences seen in Chile and Uruguay show that "the most important factor in such a plan is not the delivery of the kit but the early detection of pregnancies... as well as advice and regular check-ups provided to mothers."

In the context of Argentina, it stated that the most complex challenge would be to successfully decentralize the actions of the Qunita plan in a system where health centers and social services are run by provinces and municipalities, not by the central government. Enditem