Health alerts for substandard, falsified, and unregistered medical products at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Americas

Objective

Identify and analyze incidents of substandard, falsified, unregistered, and stolen medical products at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Detailed search of the websites of regulatory authorities in the Americas. Identification of incidents of substandard, falsified, unregistered, and stolen medicines and medical devices (including in vitro diagnostics). The types of products were determined, as were the stages in the supply chain where they were detected, and the actions taken by authorities.

Reporting guidelines for clinical trial reports for interventions involving artificial intelligence: the CONSORT-AI extension

The CONSORT 2010 statement provides minimum guidelines for reporting randomized trials. Its widespread use has been instrumental in ensuring transparency in the evaluation of new interventions. More recently, there has been a growing recognition that interventions involving artificial intelligence (AI) need to undergo rigorous, prospective evaluation to demonstrate impact on health outcomes. The CONSORT-AI (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials– Artificial Intelligence) extension is a new reporting guideline for clinical trials evaluating interventions with an AI component.

Concordance between essential medicines lists and diabetes guidelines in Latin America and the Caribbean

Objective

Conduct an analysis to determine the existence and updating of national essential medicines lists (EMLs) and clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the treatment of diabetes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); and compare the medicines included in each country's list and guidelines both with each other and with those of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Guidelines for clinical trial protocols for interventions involving artificial intelligence: the SPIRIT-AI extension

The SPIRIT 2013 statement aims to improve the completeness of clinical trial protocol reporting by providing evidence-based recommendations for the minimum set of items to be addressed. This guidance has been instrumental in promoting transparent evaluation of new interventions. More recently, there has been a growing recognition that interventions involving artificial intelligence (AI) need to undergo rigorous, prospective evaluation to demonstrate their impact on health outcomes.

Nationwide study of in-hospital maternal mortality in Ecuador, 2015–2022

Objective

This study aimed to analyze estimates of in-hospital delivery-related maternal mortality and sociodemographic factors influencing this mortality in Ecuador during 2015 to 2022.

Methods

Data from publicly accessible registries from the Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Censuses were analyzed. Maternal mortality ratios (MMRs) were calculated, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to obtain unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios.

Developing and sustaining high-quality care for children with cancer: the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer

Cancer is a major public health concern, impacting nearly 20 million people each year, and it is responsible for 1 in 6 deaths worldwide. The burden of cancer is increasing rapidly, straining health systems that are unable to prevent and manage the disease. Childhood cancer constitutes a significant and relevant public health challenge; it was the ninth leading cause of childhood disease globally, according to findings by the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study.

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