Recife, April 14, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The head of the World Bank health sector for Latin America and the Caribbean, Evangeline Javier, participated today in the European and Latin American Health Forum (Eurolac), sponsored by the World Bank in Recife, Northeast Brazil. In her address, she said that Brazil has made substantial progress in the reduction of maternal and child mortality and in the implantation of the sexually transmitted diseases/AIDS program (DST/AIDS), which is an international benchmark. Nevertheless, she observed, the Brazilian government could increase its investments in this sector, to improve the efficiency with which services are provided.

Inequality in the delivery of health care to the populations of Latin American and Caribbean countries was one of the main themes discussed at the gathering, which, after earlier editions in France, Costa Rica, and Spain, is meeting for the first time in Brazil, with Ministers, technicians, and specialists present from 52 countries.

The vice-president of the World Bank, Vinod Thomas, said that the Forum provides an opportunity to share experiences regarding new approaches that will improve health policies, especially on behalf of the poorest segments of the population.

The World Bank, which has been collaborating with Brazil since 1949, has already provided US$ 33 billion for projects that focus on the reduction of poverty and economic and social development in the country. One of the efforts is the DST/AIDS program, which has been assured US$ 100 million in funds over the next four years.

Translator: David Silberstein