IBBY-Yamada 2025: Argentina

IBBY Argentina
Literary Mediation and Other Artistic Expressions in Healthcare Settings

Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4, this initiative trained healthcare teams in Buenos Aires to integrate literary mediation into paediatric care. ALIJA provided resources and mentoring to professionals at four major institutions, including the Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, transforming waiting rooms into spaces of emotional connection and play. The project aimed to support the holistic well-being of young patients by empowering staff to use books and art as tools for healing and cultural transmission.

Through nine specialised workshops featuring experts like María Emilia López and Carlos Skliar, over 50 healthcare workers learned to curate collections and design engaging reading activities. A strategic alliance with the FILBA Foundation facilitated the donation of 440 books, while mediators conducted more than 130 direct interventions in waiting rooms and inpatient units. At Gutiérrez Hospital alone, these efforts reached 4,000 children and adolescents, successfully replacing passive screen time with interactive storytelling and community building among families.

Despite economic constraints limiting furniture purchases, the project successfully institutionalised reading practices within medical settings. Teams reported increased engagement from patients and families, with some forming independent support networks. Looking to 2026, ALIJA plans to secure new funding to expand these networks, ensuring that literary mediation becomes a permanent, sustainable component of paediatric healthcare in Argentina.