Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

Argentina and the US share an ideological blueprint to destroy science and healthcare

When health is subordinated to market forces, deregulation, and austerity, the burden falls on vulnerable communities, write Alejandra Sánchez Cabezas and Juan Franco Since Javier Milei became Argentina’s president in December 2023, his government has been systematically dismantling the country’s public health system.1 We’re not witnessing simply administrative decline or technical adjustment: it is an explicit, structured political project.23 Argentina’s health agenda now shares an ideological blueprint with the Trump administration in the US: health is no longer treated as a public good but a tradable commodity. This shift underscores the urgent need to defend health as a human right.4 Public health expenditure in Argentina fell by 27% in the first six months of 2024.1 Essential programmes were shut down, including the adolescent pregnancy prevention initiative (which had cut teen pregnancies by 50% over five years and prevented an estimated 94 000 unintended pregnancies).56 The National Cancer Institute was closed.7 The Garrahan Hospital—Argentina’s leading public paediatric centre—is facing systematic disinvestment, with a multimillion peso deficit and an unprecedented exodus of highly skilled staff.8 Budgets for vaccination, communicable disease control, and sexual health were underspent by up to 76%.9 This systematic dismantling of …

None

Get the Android app