ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses developments with reference to three areas: Reforms of the pensions insurance system and the health system, and social funds for poverty alleviation. Reform of pensions insurance systems in Latin America is crucial for the development of social welfare on that continent. The level of coverage of social insurance systems varies widely between the countries of Latin America. Regular collection of contributions is very important for the administrative effectiveness of pensions insurance systems. A radical economic and social transformation is taking place in Latin America, taking different forms in different countries, but showing a tendency overall to increased democratization. Uruguay is considered a social security pioneer among Latin American countries. The stabilization and structural adjustment programs which were introduced in many countries of Latin America when the debt crisis broke in the region in the 1980s and which are still under way led to an increase in poverty.
