Objectives.

To estimate the tuberculosis (TB) burden in children under 15 years of age and to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and the results of the anti-tuberculosis treatment in Ecuador.

Methods.

A retrospective study was carried out using data from the national TB programm for 2015 and 2016. The rate and percentage of cases of childhood TB were estimated and the disease characteristics and treatment outcome were described according to age categories: 0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 years.

Objective

Determine the incidence of loss to follow-up (LTFU) in patients treated for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (RR/MDR-TB), and the factors associated with this discharge status in Ecuador.

Objective

Determine the percentage of children under 5 years of age who completed isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) in health facilities in Quito, Ecuador, and assess related factors.

Methods

Operations research with cohort design. Data were obtained from treatment reports on children in IPT between 2014 and 2016, and from ad hoc surveys of caregivers of children who received IPT in 2018.

Objective.

Evaluate the control of pulmonary tuberculosis in a detention center and identify the risk factors associated with unsuccessful treatment in the largest prison in Ecuador.

The proclamation of the Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) by the United Nations was prompted by the realization that the causes of malnutrition are complex and multidimensional – as exemplified by situations of poverty and extreme poverty and by the lack of access to a quality, diversified diet that respects the dietary habits and cultures of different peoples and countries.

Obesity is a serious public health problem whose increase has been associated with the growing consumption of ultra-processed foods in several world regions, including Latin America. Food guides are official guidelines used to promote healthy eating habits and may serve as a tool to prevent obesity. Brazil was the first country to adopt the level of processing to categorize food items and make recommendations based on these categories in its food guides.

Objective.

To identify and prioritize municipalities in 22 countries of Latin America for trachoma surveillance activities, to measure the absence or prevalence of trachoma, and to support validation and trachoma elimination efforts in the Region of the Americas.

Objective.

To assess the incidence of obstetric complications—eclampsia, dystocia, cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage, and stillbirths—in hospitals in southern Haiti in 2013 – 2016 and to discuss implications for improvements to the surveillance of birth outcomes.

Objective.

To compare the performance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for diagnosing Echinococcus granulosus in dog feces among national reference laboratories in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.