Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge

OBJECTIVE: To describe how the Government of Mexico and other direct stakeholders perceive children orphaned by the drug war; to determine the current measures addressing this as a public health problem; and to compare these measures to international frameworks so that relevant recommendations can b...

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Main Authors: Salvador Camacho, Olaf Horstick, Sylvia Sax
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pan American Health Organization 2014-08-01
Series:Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892014000700004&lng=en&tlng=en
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spelling doaj-ec5b76e252694f94bb9d4380c6142de22020-11-24T23:53:37ZengPan American Health OrganizationRevista Panamericana de Salud Pública1020-49892014-08-0136294100S1020-49892014000700004Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challengeSalvador Camacho0Olaf Horstick1Sylvia Sax2University of HeidelbergUniversity of HeidelbergUniversity of HeidelbergOBJECTIVE: To describe how the Government of Mexico and other direct stakeholders perceive children orphaned by the drug war; to determine the current measures addressing this as a public health problem; and to compare these measures to international frameworks so that relevant recommendations can be identified. METHODS: This was an exploratory, descriptive case study using qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews were performed with key informants at the federal, state, and municipal government levels in Mexico, as well as non-governmental organizations, and other institutes working with orphans. Participants were identified with a purposive snowball sample. RESULTS: No official definition of "orphan" was identified; nor was there a shared perception among the key informants of what constitutes being an orphan. An official, collective definition is important because it modifies the quantity of children categorized as such within the target population. Although most of the interviewees perceive that the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) has increased in the last 6 years, they acknowledged there is no reliable data to prove it. The increase, they believe, is due not to the drug war, but to a loss of family cohesion. Stakeholders recommend improving public policies, currently identified as the most difficult barrier to overcome due to a perceived inability to modify existing laws. However, the General Law for Victims was recently passed by the Government of Mexico and addresses many of the challenges identified. CONCLUSIONS: When compared to the international frameworks, there are three major issues in Mexico's current situation: coordination among and within stakeholders; emphasis on using community solutions; and putting in place preventive programs. For two of these problems, the General Law of Victims offers solutions.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892014000700004&lng=en&tlng=enNiño abandonadomaltrato a los niñospolíticas públicasservicios de salud del niñoconflictos armadoscomunidades vulnerablesrelaciones familiarespoblación en riesgoplanificación en salud comunitariaMéxico
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Salvador Camacho
Olaf Horstick
Sylvia Sax
spellingShingle Salvador Camacho
Olaf Horstick
Sylvia Sax
Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge
Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
Niño abandonado
maltrato a los niños
políticas públicas
servicios de salud del niño
conflictos armados
comunidades vulnerables
relaciones familiares
población en riesgo
planificación en salud comunitaria
México
author_facet Salvador Camacho
Olaf Horstick
Sylvia Sax
author_sort Salvador Camacho
title Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge
title_short Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge
title_full Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge
title_fullStr Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge
title_full_unstemmed Orphans of the Mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge
title_sort orphans of the mexican drug war: insights on a public health challenge
publisher Pan American Health Organization
series Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
issn 1020-4989
publishDate 2014-08-01
description OBJECTIVE: To describe how the Government of Mexico and other direct stakeholders perceive children orphaned by the drug war; to determine the current measures addressing this as a public health problem; and to compare these measures to international frameworks so that relevant recommendations can be identified. METHODS: This was an exploratory, descriptive case study using qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews were performed with key informants at the federal, state, and municipal government levels in Mexico, as well as non-governmental organizations, and other institutes working with orphans. Participants were identified with a purposive snowball sample. RESULTS: No official definition of "orphan" was identified; nor was there a shared perception among the key informants of what constitutes being an orphan. An official, collective definition is important because it modifies the quantity of children categorized as such within the target population. Although most of the interviewees perceive that the number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) has increased in the last 6 years, they acknowledged there is no reliable data to prove it. The increase, they believe, is due not to the drug war, but to a loss of family cohesion. Stakeholders recommend improving public policies, currently identified as the most difficult barrier to overcome due to a perceived inability to modify existing laws. However, the General Law for Victims was recently passed by the Government of Mexico and addresses many of the challenges identified. CONCLUSIONS: When compared to the international frameworks, there are three major issues in Mexico's current situation: coordination among and within stakeholders; emphasis on using community solutions; and putting in place preventive programs. For two of these problems, the General Law of Victims offers solutions.
topic Niño abandonado
maltrato a los niños
políticas públicas
servicios de salud del niño
conflictos armados
comunidades vulnerables
relaciones familiares
población en riesgo
planificación en salud comunitaria
México
url http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892014000700004&lng=en&tlng=en
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