Summary (English)

Due to the wide variety of interventions in place, the task of identifying and describing social protection in health schemes (SPHS) for mother, newborn and child populations in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region is an arduous one. While nearly all Latin American countries have implemented immunization and nutrition programs that are standardized according to a global consensus based on worldwide experience on what works best, health protection schemes aimed at guaranteeing access to health care to mothers and children are heterogeneous and have achieved varying degrees of success. Along with those factors within the health sector that hinder the timely delivery and quality of health services, a number of conditions outside the health sector play a key role in determining access to care and health outcomes in LAC countries. The political situation and social determinants of health are of paramount importance in the performance of SPHS in the region, given the fact that political instability and inequity shape the social landscape of many countries.