Pharmacovigilance of COVID-19 vaccines in Brazil: actions taken, lessons learned, and next steps

Objective

To document the actions taken by Brazil's National Immunization Program for the pharmacovigilance of COVID-19 vaccines. 

Methods

Documentary research on the period 2020 to 2023. Documentary sources from the national Ministry of Health during COVID-19 vaccination were used to analyze and interpret the actions taken. The analysis was split into two stages: preparation and operationalization. The publications were organized according to title, date of publication, description, and URL. 

Reasons for organ and tissue donation refusal and opposition: a scoping review

Objective

To map the reasons why individuals oppose or refuse organ and tissue donation, from an international perspective.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted from May 2022 to February 2024 using a three-stage search strategy across five databases and Google Scholar. Data analysis involved categorizing information based on similarities and populations studied. 

Regulation and performance of health systems: a review of analytic frameworks

The private health sector has expanded significantly in recent decades, both in Latin America and other regions. Governments and international organizations have dealt with this process in a heterogeneous manner. A policy approach and, above all, a regulatory framework, are required in order to put health objectives and the right to health above the profit motive that drives private sector participation. This paper reviews frameworks for analyzing the performance of health systems and the regulation of financing and service provision, primarily (but not exclusively) in the private sector.

Dengue lethality and inequalities in the Region of the Americas between 2014 and 2023

Objective

Evaluate the differences in the dengue case fatality rate among the different subregions of the Americas in the period 2014-2023 and explore their relationship with the human development index (HDI) in each subregion. 

Methods

Longitudinal ecological study based on open-access data from each country, grouped into the corresponding subregions to calculate the different indicators. In addition, a linear regression was performed between the mean case fatality rate in each region and the weighted regional HDI. 

The role of regulatory agencies within health systems during emergencies in Brazil

The performance of health systems is related to ensuring the right to health, an important component of human rights that includes the right to health protection. Regulatory action by the state aims to reduce risks to health and thus help improve health system performance, particularly with respect to the principles of comprehensiveness and equity.

Embracing open data for Caribbean health

[EXTRACT] As the Caribbean faces an evolving health landscape along with other regional challenges, the importance of reliable, accessible and interconnected data has never been more evident. This special issue of the Pan American Journal of Public Health/Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública focusing on Open Data for Caribbean Health explores the potential of open data to enhance public health outcomes and imagine how it can foster collaboration and build resilience within communities.

Elimination of measles and rubella in the Americas

The Region of the Americas was the first in the world to reach the elimination target for rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in 2015, and measles in 2016. However, the verification process has had a history full of challenges and lessons learned. This special issue brings together the experiences of countries in the Americas throughout the elimination and post-elimination period of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome between 2013 and 2024.

Events supposedly attributable to vaccination or immunization

An event supposedly attributable to vaccination or immunization (ESAVI) is any unfavorable and unintended health situation (sign, symptom, abnormal laboratory finding, or disease) that occurs after vaccination or immunization and that does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the vaccination process or the vaccine. One of the essential components of a safe vaccination program is surveillance for ESAVIs.

Islands of data: cultivating an open data landscape for sustainable development in the Caribbean

The widespread digitization of information, advances in data processing and the emergence of internet-connected devices have led to a proliferation of data, often loosely referred to as big data. With this digital transformation, offering open data – that is, data freely available for modification and reuse – has emerged as a key strategy for encouraging transparency and innovation. Data reuse holds particular importance in the small island developing states of the Caribbean, which have a limited resource pool from which to tackle the landscape of social priorities.

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