Child and maternal health and international economic policies.

The following article suggests that the current economic crisis in the Dominican Republic could have serious consequences for the health of women and children. Health status will be affected both indirectly and directly by the crisis: that indirect effect can be seen in changes in dietary patterns, increased nutritional risk, increased incidence of infectious disease, and in time, increased mortality among women and children. The direct effect can be seen in higher unemployment, reduced wages, increased prices of basic commodities, and reduced government support for public health care delivery systems. Examples are drawn from observations in public health postpartum wards.