Over the past two decades, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have made substantial progress in strengthening research systems, in which the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Policy on Research for Health has been instrumental. Research agendas have emerged as a key mechanism to bridge national policy priorities with the production of relevant and timely evidence that is aligned with national health priorities. This paper explores the strategic role of health research agendas in aligning evidence generation with decision-making needs.

The Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health draws readers’ attention to an unintentional error in the following article, noted by the authors: 

Reis N, Sued O, Vieceli T, Falci DR, Silva LR, Fonseca PM, et al. Predictors of mortality among individuals with advanced HIV disease in a contemporary Brazilian cohort. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2025;49:e36. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2025.36 

In pgs. 7-8: The additional funding source should be mentioned 

Objective

To analyze the regulatory frameworks on assisted fertilization in continental Latin America by comparing key aspects related to access, coverage, and beneficiaries. 

Objective

Front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) was implemented in Peru as a national prevention strategy, but little is known about its evaluation, impact, or effectiveness in nutrition and health. This scoping review shows the evidence on front-of-pack warning labels and nutrition and health variables in Peru. 

This article proposes an analytical framework to reinterpret the segmentation and fragmentation of health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on the asymmetric relationships between actors as a structural cause of inefficiencies and inequities.

Access to medicine is a central component of the right to health. Exponential increases in the price of medicines and the emergence of high-priced innovative therapies on the market have put the sustainability of the system at risk. For this reason, the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina) changed its drug policy from historically decentralized management by each health care provider to a policy based on centralized procurement, integrated processes, increased public production of medicines, and the development of information systems.

Objective

To present the background, results, contributions, challenges, future prospects of the Regional Network of Focal Points for Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (SF Network) in the Americas during the two decades of its existence. 

Method

A documentary review was conducted to identify the background, results, and future prospects of the SF Network. The time horizon considered was 1999 -2025. The data are presented in narrative form. 

Vector-borne diseases continue to pose significant and evolving public health threats in the Caribbean. The compounded effects of human travel and migration, climate variability, ecological change, and structural vulnerabilities are intensifying transmission risks. However, preparedness efforts across the region remain largely reactive, with limited investment during the inter-epidemic periods, the interval between recognized outbreak waves when risk drivers persist but attention often declines, despite their potential as a strategic window for resilience-building.

HEARTS in the Americas is the largest-scale implementation of the WHO’s global initiative, with 33 countries participating, 28 having adopted standardized clinical pathways, and about 10 000 primary healthcare facilities engaged. Despite progress, fragmented care, limited availability of validated blood pressure devices, restricted access to essential medicines, and weak quality assurance systems continue to hinder hypertension control and cardiovascular risk management. In response, PAHO and participating countries co-developed the HEARTS Quality Framework.

Intra and after action reviews (IARs and AARs) are essential for the management of public health emergencies. This article reports on the experience of developing an IAR and AAR method by the Ministry of Health in Brazil, highlighting its conceptual and organizational foundations and its application in different public health emergency contexts from 2023 to 2025, a period during which 10 evaluations were conducted nationwide.