Social Protection

Conditional Cash Transfers are the most efficient instrument to support families affected by the structural poverty in the region. The expansion of these programs has resulted in a positive impact on poverty, consumption and use of health and education services.

Long-term care systems help older persons maintain their quality of life, promote gender equality by reducing the responsibility of care within the family, and create jobs in the care economy.

The following policies are key to increasing the quality of life of persons with disabilities: (i) implementation of national certification systems that facilitate access to existing programs; (ii) implementation of cash-transfer programs that alleviate the poverty of PwD; and (iii) provision of personal assistance and assistive technology that enhance the autonomy and well-being of the PwD, while supporting family members (generally women) who provide assistance.

In the region, the prevalence of poverty is higher in rural areas —it affects 47.9% of its population, compared to 18.1% in cities—. Additionally, poverty affects the Indigenous Peoples population (39.7%), Afro-descendants (34.4%), and households with children (30.5%) in a disproportionate way.