Desnutrición y Muerte en la Niñez argentina en los Albores del Siglo XXI: Un Análisis Espacial

Childhood death from malnutrition reached unexpected dimensions in the transition from the 20th to the 21st century in Argentina. In this work the magnitude of the problem, the spatial distribution of malnutrition and the major changes in its distribution between 1999 and 2008, both at provincial and departmental levels, are analysed. The results show a decrease at both the national and provincial level, but at the departmental level the rate rose, countering national and provincial trends. Some jurisdictions detected are in a notoriously critical situation, where the magnitude of the rate is among the highest in Argentina. This diagnosis worsened as the rate increased during the decade. The evidence provides a wide scope for public policies that seek to improve the living conditions of the population in general and children in particular.