International Programs

During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s Ecuador experienced a period of rapid economic growth. When this period ended, many Ecuadorians were left unemployed, poverty stricken, and without access to basic services or sanitary goods. At this point Ecuador was in desperate need of economic reform. The Ecuadorian presidential administrations of the 1980’s tried to implement reform policies to boost the economy, but their efforts were a failure. The IMF and World Bank, amongst other institutions, then started the period of structural adjustment in Ecuador.
This thesis is my analysis of how these structural adjustment programs, implemented by foreigners, affected the health and health care of the people of Ecuador. The structural adjustment programs had many negative effects on the people of Ecuador. These effects included: driving some Ecuadorians farther into poverty, creating unhealthy conditions by damaging the environment, and further isolating some from health care.
The period of structural adjustment in Ecuador was a slow and grueling process for the people. Despite the negative effects of structural adjustment, there were many positive outcomes. These outcomes included improvement of the general well being of the Ecuadorians from the 1980’s and improved access to health care services. The economy and health care system in Ecuador are still not good, but the overall effect of structural adjustment programs on health and health care had more benefits than detriments on the Ecuadorian people.