Argentina’s healthcare is crumbling under its worst ever dengue epidemic and Milei’s presidency
Argentina’s healthcare system is under threat from the dengue crisis and its president’s systematic dismantling of science. Martín de Ambrosio reports The worst dengue outbreak in the history of the country; a zombie health ministry; hundreds of patients with cancer left without treatment; and the dismantling of academic and scientific infrastructure—the first four months of Javier Milei’s presidency have been dramatic for Argentina.1 Lowering inflation and reducing the fiscal deficit are the number one priorities for Milei and his right wing libertarian party La Libertad Avanza. Milei, a former economist, TV panellist, and sex coach, has reiterated his aim to eliminate universal healthcare. The government is committed to reducing the power of state departments. One example is the Directorate of Direct Assistance for Special Situations (DADSE), a state institution that provides subsidies for patients with conditions such as cancer, haemophilia, or autoimmune diseases, who cannot otherw