E/C.12/GTM/CO/3 effective implementation and sustainability of the Zero Hunger Plan, strengthening the components that address the structural causes of malnutrition. It particularly urges the development, within the framework of the National Policy for Comprehensive Rural Development, of the mechanisms necessary to prevent the expansion of monocultures from exacerbating the food insecurity of rural communities. The right to health 22. The Committee notes with concern the considerable disparities in the various regions of the country with regard to access to and quality of health-care services, including the concentration of doctors in urban areas, which affects mainly the indigenous population living in poverty and extreme poverty. The Committee finds it regrettable that the health budget is insufficient to provide adequate coverage for the entire population, thereby favouring the private provision of health-care services (art. 12). The Committee recommends that the State party increase the health-care budget and take the necessary measures to consolidate a national health system accessible to all without discrimination of any kind, in accordance with article 12 of the Covenant and taking into consideration general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health (article 12 of the Covenant). The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen measures to ensure the coverage and accessibility of the health-care services provided by the State in rural areas and zones inhabited by the indigenous population. Sexual and reproductive health 23. The Committee reiterates its concern about the shortage and inadequacy of sexual and reproductive health services, in particular for girls and women, which result in high rates of maternal mortality and teenage pregnancy (E/C.12/1/Add.93, para. 25). The Committee notes with concern that the State party excludes from liability only those abortions performed to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman and that unsafe or illegal abortions continue to be one of the principal causes of maternal mortality (arts. 10 and 12). The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts to address the high rate of teenage pregnancies and ensure the accessibility and availability of sexual and reproductive health services, particularly in rural areas. It further recommends that the State party incorporate comprehensive, age-related sexual and reproductive health education into school curricula at both primary and secondary school level and introduce public education and awareness-raising programmes in this respect. The Committee urges the State party to review its legislation on abortion and to study the possibility of providing for exceptions to the prohibition on abortion, including in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. It also recommends that the State party guarantee access to health facilities, supplies and services to diminish pre- and post-abortion risks. Access to education and budget allocation 24. The Committee notes with concern the limited size of the education budget and the fact that the State party is one of the countries that spends the least on education in Latin America. The Committee finds it regrettable that the budget allocation for primary education is not sufficient to cover educational costs, which has led, in some public schools, to informal fees being charged in the form of “donations” or “voluntary contributions”, a practice which particularly affects indigenous girls. The Committee is concerned about GE.14-23900 7