Once the Guatemalan Civil War ended in 1996 with the signing of the Peace Accords, health care was placed in the hands of a new democratic government. Immediately after the war, Guatemala saw little change in the healthcare sector. However, starting in 1999, the health care system was improved with increased government spending and aid. Although this was a drastic improvement from the times of war, the system was still insufficient and did not come close to meeting all of the needs of the Guatemalan people.