The Ministry of Health of Suriname has replaced the outdated 1958 paper-based death certificate with an adapted digital version based on the World Health Organization international form of Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, integrated with the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) coding tool. This digital system, which comprises a mobile application and a web-based platform, enables direct selection of diagnoses using the ICD-11 codes, including post-coordination (code combinations) and the use of extension codes.

Objective

To determine the excess mortality associated with the November 2023 extreme heat wave in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with temperatures reaching 42°C.

Methods

Using the excess heat factor (EHF) to characterize the heat wave, this study identified elevated excess mortality across various disease categories, including symptoms and abnormal clinical findings, nervous system disorders, mental health conditions, and genitourinary diseases, diverging from typical heat-related mortality patterns.

Objective

valuate a pilot program designed to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to schoolchildren in Chile.

Materials and Methods

An educational pilot program consisting of a workshop for seventh-graders, including pre-workshop and post-workshop evaluations, was implemented in five public schools in the Metropolitana and Magallanes regions of Chile.

Public health surveillance is essential to protect the health of the population and address health inequities. The World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Ethical Issues in Public Health Surveillance is a comprehensive international ethical framework that provides specific guidance on surveillance work and its challenges.

Neglected tropical diseases affect more than one billion people worldwide, over 55 million of whom are in the Region of the Americas. These conditions can cause long-term disability and death, and disproportionately affect populations living in poverty. It is well known that adopting the gender perspective and incorporating intersectionality in the development of health programs can help reduce inequities. Based on this idea, this article suggests specific actions for the mainstreaming of gender and intersectionality.

This study critically analyzes the effects of social protection policies on tuberculosis treatment and discusses perspectives for the implementation of comprehensive, sustainable care in Latin America. Based on the theory of social determinants of health, this article offers theory and reflection on the effects of social inequalities on adherence to treatment, showing that financial support, food security, and access to transportation are fundamental elements in reducing the impact of the disease on individuals and communities.

Objective

To describe the energy and sodium content of foods reported in the 2018–2019 National Household Income and Expenditure Survey of Costa Rica, classified using the NOVA system, by urban/rural residence and income quintiles.

Methods

Descriptive study in which records of food purchases from the 2018–2019 National Household Income and Expenditure Survey were converted to energy and sodium content by means of food composition tables. Foods were classified into the four NOVA groups and analyzed according to urban/rural residence and income quintiles.

Ambulatory care-sensitive conditions are those for which effective primary health care services could prevent hospitalizations or mitigate severe complications. Hospital admissions for these conditions have been used to measure the effectiveness of primary health care. We review and compare lists of these conditions developed by national and international health entities to explore their applicability to diverse health care systems, the conditions included and the methodological challenges of making cross-country comparisons.

Objective

To analyze the distance between the place of residence and the location of maternal deaths in Brazil from 2018 to 2023, taking into account territorial, ethnic-racial, and regional inequalities.