CABEI and Argentina formalize program to improve health care in prisons and border units

30/09/2021

The US$50 million financing will strengthen the sanitation infrastructure to benefit more than 2.6 million people and generate 3,000 new jobs.

Buenos Aires, September 30, 2021 - With the purpose of strengthening public health care capacity in penitentiary complexes and border units, this Thursday the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs and the Public Works Ministry (MOP) of the Argentine State formalized the financing for the Health Infrastructure Strengthening Program for Penitentiary Units and Border Health Units.

The US$50 million grant will be used for the purchase and installation of sanitary modules and their respective equipment in approximately 30 Sanitary Isolation Centers (CAS) located in penitentiary centers and 13 Border Sanitary Units (USF), positively impacting more than 2.6 million people, including prisoners, prison system personnel, and people in border units, among others.

"We celebrate the formalization of this initiative, which is part of our COVID-19 Emergency Support and Preparedness and Economic Reactivation Program, which will strengthen the Argentine health system and guarantee immediate attention to the beneficiary sectors, thus supporting the containment and mitigation of the emergency caused by the pandemic," said CABEI Executive President, Dr. Dante Mossi.

Dr. Maximiliano Alonso, CABEI Director for Argentina and Colombia, added: "the program developed by the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs and the Public Works Ministry is aligned with the Bank's development axes, which consist of supporting government actions to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants by attending to their health needs".

The initiative has a gender component, since the infrastructure developed will enable the care of women prisoners suffering from respiratory diseases such as COVID-19 and other conditions specific to them.

The Program will be executed by the MOP with the support of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as procurement agent.

 

Back