Source: United Nations, based on data and estimates provided by: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Inter-Parliamentary Union; International Labour Organization; International Telecommunication Union; UNAIDS; UNESCO; UN-Habitat; UNICEF; UN Population Division; World Bank; World Health Organization - based on statistics available as of June 2015. Compiled by the Statistics Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2015_MDG_Report/pdf/MDG%202015%20PC%20final.pdf
Some 25 to 30 million people in the region are in a vulnerable situation and are at risk of falling into income poverty. Building resilience by means of universal social protection, the expansion of care systems, the promotion of greater access to physical and financial assets, and the development of increased employment skills are, therefore, of vital importance. (Source: Regional HDR for LAC 2016)
Most Caribbean Community (CARICOM) economies face structural challenges to multidimensional progress, including high external debt burdens, greater vulnerability and exposure to natural disasters, and additional costs in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) linked to energy and imports, in particular food imports.
Inequities in access to quality, affordable health services are key drivers of broader socio-economic vulnerability. However, aggregate health statistics do not always capture differential levels of vulnerability to certain health conditions, as well as access to healthcare services and ultimately health outcomes. Understanding health inequities requires analysing health outcomes in terms of gender, age, educational attainment, place of residence, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, sexual orientation and marginalized groups, such as migrants, prisoners and others.
Efforts to address the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region face significant funding constraints, which could be further impeded by anticipated reductions in donor funding. This would make the financing of national HIV/AIDS responses increasingly dependent on social security systems—the high tax rates for which are a major cause of the informality that threatens social inclusion, and the financial sustainability of public health systems, across the region. This underscores the importance of improving access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
Policy and programmatic measures to address challenges related to stigma and discrimination should focus on:
Creating more inclusive legal environments that emphasize public health over punishment and stigmatization, as well as better access to justice for at-risk social groups;
Addressing institutionalised stigma and discrimination, inter alia by sensitizing law enforcement and health-service personnel to the needs of people who are living with HIV/AIDS, as well as of those at risk of contracting the infection;
Civic engagement. The role of NGOs in outreach and service provision as a complement to (not a substitute for) public services should be further emphasized.
Vulnerable population – those earning US$4 to US$10 per day