Health & Education
From The Report: Argentina 2018
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With the introduction of the Universal Health Plan, Argentina has gone some way to addressing the low-hanging fruit with regard to improving Argentina’s health care system. Inefficiencies and bureaucratic blocks in the sector can be improved by the introduction of new technologies, appointment scheduling systems and the harmonization of data across the fragmented model. The unification of health care provision looks set to continue, but the biggest challenge will be to provide quality treatment to provinces in the country’s more remote areas.
Argentina boasts one of the best education systems in Latin America, in terms of both attainment and funding of institutions. More than 98% of citizens over the age of 15 are literate, and public and private universities frequently perform well – along with Chilean and Brazilian institutions – in global rankings systems. The opening of the economy puts new onus on schools and universities to provide their students with the skills necessary to compete in the global market place. The results of the first batch of students to graduate from the Schools of the Future programme will be eagerly anticipated by progressive innovators and could set the tone for deeper reform in the coming years.

This chapter includes interviews with Florencia Davel, CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina; Alberto Álvarez Saavedra, President, Laboratorios Gador; and Alberto Edgardo Barbieri, Dean, University of Buenos Aires.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Synchronised steps: With several measures under way, the current administration is ironing out challenges posed by a decentralised system
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 The Argentine health care system is divided into three subsectors. The public sector assists both those citizens without health insurance, mainly from low-income backgrounds, and includes public hospital provision while also providing health plans for retirees and government employees at a national and provincial level, including the military and police. A second sector is run by trade unions for workers in a given sector, both public and private, and lastly there is the private health…

Interview

Strategic alliances: Florencia Davel, CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina, Chile and Peru, on promoting international investment and best practices
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Interview:Florencia Davel How will collaboration between international and local institutions help develop the sector? FLORENCIA DAVEL: This is one of the most important aspects that needs to be promoted. We can be great contributors in bringing local institutions to a higher level through the continuous transfer of technology and expertise, allowing local providers to deliver better services to patients. One example of this is our partnership with a local company for HIV product. In the…

Interview

Next level: Alberto Álvarez Saavedra, President, Laboratorios Gador, on reforming patent legislation and competing globally
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Interview:Alberto Álvarez Saavedra Where does the biotechnology segment stand in relation to international standards? ALBERTO ÁLVAREZ SAAVEDRA: The country’s biotechnology industry is a regional leader with Argentina holding the unique position in Latin America of having two Nobel Prizes in biology. This is essentially a direct consequence of the large amount of investment that local companies have made in the past decades. These companies span the pharmaceutical, foodstuffs, energy…

Overview

Learning for tomorrow: New reforms look to align the sector with the country’s shift onto the global stage
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 Argentina boasts one of the best education systems in Latin America, in terms of both attainment and funding of institutions. More than 98% of citizens over the age of 15 are literate, and public and private universities frequently perform well – along with Chilean and Brazilian institutions – in global rankings systems. The focus of reform under President Mauricio Macri has been to improve technological education and build stronger links with the private sector, with the goal of…

Interview

Integrated learning: Alberto Edgardo Barbieri, Dean, University of Buenos Aires, on the role of higher education in business and society
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Interview:Alberto Edgardo Barbieri How can the link between universities and businesses be strengthened in Argentina? ALBERTO EDGARDO BARBIERI: The role of universities is essential not only in spreading knowledge, but in creating knowledge through the promotion and implementation of scientific research. However, in Argentina we have experienced a slight decline in this regard over recent decades as a result of lower investment in research and development (R&D). The government…

Overview

On the job: Development and promotion of technical and vocational training key to improving employment rates
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 Although priorities vary when it comes to economic development, the increasing need for skilled labour is both a cause of and a requirement for accelerated growth across markets. This demand for technical specialists is often most concentrated in the sectors that are vital to economic advancement, including infrastructure, oil and gas exploration and extraction, and value-add processes for agricultural commodities. Efforts to expand this expertise locally, rather than relying on international organisations or expatriate leadership, have come to the fore in recent years, both as part of individual country schemes and multinational…

Overview

On the job: Development and promotion of technical and vocational training key to improving employment rates
OBG
plus

 Although priorities vary when it comes to economic development, the increasing need for skilled labour is both a cause of and a requirement for accelerated growth across markets. This demand for technical specialists is often most concentrated in the sectors that are vital to economic advancement, including infrastructure, oil and gas exploration and extraction, and value-add processes for agricultural commodities. Efforts to expand this expertise locally, rather than relying on international organisations or expatriate leadership, have come to the fore in recent years, both as part of individual country schemes and multinational…