Requiem por la atencion de la salud de la mujer no embarazada / Requiem for the health care of nonpregnant women

The programming of maternal and child health activities by the Ministry of Public Health in Colombia was modified late in 1987. Pregnant women and infants were targeted as priority groups for health interventions in order to reduce morbidity and prevent deaths from occurring in both groups. The pre-school child and women in fertile age were left out from the programming as the resources used in previous years to take care of them were reassigned to cover the infant and pregnant women only. Health promotion and preventive intervention are essential and should not be discontinued by the Ministry of Health. Data form Quindio, a central department of Colombia illustrates what has happened