MINISTRY OF CITIZEN POWER FOR HEALTH
NICARAGUA: ADVANCES IN HEALTH FROM 2007 TO 2020
FINANCING AND BUDGETING
1. In 2007 the MINSA budget was 3,962.4 million cordobas (14% of the General Budget of the Republic) and in 2020 it was 17,508 million cordobas (21% of the General Budget of the Republic), 4.5 times more than in the year 2007.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
1. 591 million cordobas were invested in Medical Supplies in 2007 and in 2020, 2,307 million cordobas, 4 times more than in 2006. The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity has guaranteed a 90% coverage of medical supplies.
INFRASTRUCTURE
1. We had 57 maternity homes in 2007 and 178 in 2020, 3 times more. There were 11,716 women discharged from maternity homes in 2007, while 67,224 were discharged in 2020, 6 times more.
2. Since 2014, we have an Institute of Natural Medicine and Complementary Therapies, 17 departmental dependencies, 188 natural medicine clinics within health establishments and 70 pain clinics, which also incorporate natural medicine and complementary therapies.
3. With a new health promotion initiative, we have built 91 houses for people with special
needs to promote the health of at-risk individuals, as well as their families, such as patients with chronic diseases, the elderly, people with disabilities, among others.
4. Since 2007 we have built 19 new hospitals, 16 health centers, 452 health posts, 128 maternity homes and 4 specialized centers.
EQUIPMENT
1. In 2007 we had 20 ultrasound machines, currently we have 239, having equipped all the health centers and hospitals of the country.
2. Until 2007, only the private sector performed laparoscopic surgery, while in 2020 we had 35 teams distributed in 15 departments; We also had 33 endoscopy teams diagnosing digestive diseases in all the hospitals of the Ministry of Health.
3. There was 1 mammographer for the early diagnosis of breast cancer in 2007, in 2020 we have 24 teams in the hospitals of the Ministry of Health.
4. For the treatment of cervical-uterine lesions we have acquired 128 cryotherapy machines and 97 colposcopes ensuring coverage to 80% of the country's municipalities.
5. In 2007, there were no high-tech machines in the country. As of 2020, we have 2 linear accelerators, 7 tomography machines and 1 magnetic resonator.
HUMAN RESOURCE TRAINING
1. In 2007, doctors were only trained in basic specializations in the country, while in 2020, training in sub-specializations such as Neonatology, Perinatology, critical care for adults and children has been incorporated, in order to provide specialized care to all the national territory.
2. In 2014, the training of specialists in Health Services and Management, as well as Epidemiology began.
To date, 194 specialists have been trained in Health Services and Management and Epidemiology.
HEALTH SERVICES
1. In 2007 we had 4,922 hospital beds and in 2020 we had 10,685 beds in public hospitals: MINSA, INSS, Military and Police; being twice more than in 2007.
2. We had 328,758 hospital discharges in 2007, and 401,220 in 2020, 22% more.
3. 1,951,461 hospital consultations were provided in 2007, and 3,209,572 in 2020, an increase of 64%.
4. 152,347 surgeries were performed in 2007 and 316,584 in 2020, 108% more.
5. 10,751,905 first-level outpatient services were provided in 2007, and 22,708,818 in 2020, 111% more.
6. 181,491 PAP exams were performed in 2007 and 879,664 in 2020, 5 times more.
7. 3,788,751 doses of vaccines were administered in 2007 and 4,412,755 in 2020, 16% more.
8. 68,578 HIV tests were performed in 2007, of which 672 patients resulted positive. 383,883 were performed in 2020, with 961 resulting positive.
9. 25,101 radiotherapy sessions were performed in 2007 and 37,317 in 2020, for an increase of 49%.
10. Through Operation Miracle, during the 2007-2020 period, 285,923 ophthalmological surgeries have been performed to reduce blindness, especially among the elderly.
11. In 2009 we began the Everyone with a Voice program and currently we are serving 156,113 people with disabilities, through house to house visits.
12. In 2012, the Love for the Little Ones Program began providing care for 201,694 in their homes, 479,214 were being cared for in 2020.
13. Since 2007, we have incorporated new strategies to bring services closer to the most remote populations: mobile medical brigades, health fairs, mobile clinics and the My Hospital in My Community initiative.
14. In 2007, infant heart surgery and kidney transplants were only performed by international medical brigades. 120 heart surgeries and 4 kidney transplants were performed on children at La Mascota Hospital in 2020.
15. In 2020, we created new care services such as, audiology and speech therapy, as well as child psychosocial care.
16. For the care of mothers and children with congenital malformations, Nicaragua has begun to perform fetal surgeries.
IMPACT BASED INDICATORS
1. Maternal Mortality in 2007 was 76.5 per 100,000 registered live births and in 2020, it was 37.5, a reduction of more than half.
2. Infant Mortality in 2007 was 15.19 per 1,000 registered live births and in 2020 it was 12.8, a 16 percent reduction.
3. In 2007, Neonatal Mortality was 10.5 per 1,000 registered live births and in 2020 it was 9, a reduction of 14%.
4. Life expectancy at birth in the period from 2005 to 2010, was 73 years (70 years in men and 76 years in women). In the period from 2015 to 2020 it has risen to 76 years (73 years in men and 79 years in women).
5. In 2007, births at home represented 16% of total births (20,593 at home/ 128,171 total births) and in 2020, 3.2% of births were at home (3,862 at home/ 120,140 total births).
6. Chronic malnutrition among children under 5 years of age has been reduced by half, being 21.7% in 2007 and 10% in 2020.
7. In 2007, mortality from cervical cancer was 16.3 per 100,000 among women older than 20 years of age and in 2020, it was 12.3, for a reduction of 24.4%.
8. In 2007, 26 HIV positive children were born; in 2020 there were 4 children born to HIV-positive mothers, for a reduction of 85%.
9. In 2007, Anti-retroviral Therapy was provided to 518 HIV positive patients and in 2020, 5,867 HIV patients received this treatment, 11.6 times more than in 2007.