Published since 1922, the Pan American Journal of Public Health is the flagship scientific and technical periodical of the Pan American Health Organization. Its mission is to contribute to the production and dissemination of scientific public health information of international significance, mainly in areas related to PAHO's essential mission of strengthening health systems and improving the health of the peoples of the Americas.

Publication in the journal has no cost for authors, and all manuscripts are open access and free for readers.

News

Selected manuscripts on international health days

Open data for Caribbean health

The Caribbean region faces distinct health challenges shaped by constrained resources, a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, and environmental vulnerabilities. Open data presents a powerful avenue for tackling these issues by enhancing transparency, encouraging collaboration, and enabling more effective use of health data to improve care and outcomes. This special issue explores how data accessibility and open collaboration can transform our ability to deliver evidence-based health solutions across the Caribbean small island developing states.

Towards 2030: ministerial agreements on information systems and digital transformation for resilient health systems

Read more about Towards 2030: ministerial agreements on information systems and digital transformation for resilient health systems

[EXTRACT] The landscape of public health in the Region of the Americas has been transformed substantially, with many advances driven by strategic ministerial agreements and collective decisions. The Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a crucial platform for collaboration among ministries of health, has been instrumental in this transformation.

Mapping priority areas for measles surveillance: stratifying reintroduction and transmission risk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Read more about Mapping priority areas for measles surveillance: stratifying reintroduction and transmission risk in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Objective

To stratify areas at risk of measles transmission in the state of Rio de Janeiro, using the risk assessment tool developed by the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with adaptations to the regional context.

Strengthening doctoral programs in nursing based on health care needs

Read more about Strengthening doctoral programs in nursing based on health care needs

This article aims to analyze and contextualize the training of nurses at the postgraduate level, and to present strategic orientations to expand their doctoral education in Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper presents strategies to advance the potential of nurses' contribution to health systems and the development of scientific competencies through postgraduate studies–at the doctoral level–with emphasis on cooperation and internationalization, training aligned with the health needs of the population, transfer of knowledge to practice and sustainability of actions.

Key clinical manifestations to differentiate Oropouche fever from dengue and other arboviral diseases: a living systematic review

Read more about Key clinical manifestations to differentiate Oropouche fever from dengue and other arboviral diseases: a living systematic review

Objectives

To assess the frequency of symptoms in patients with Oropouche fever and compare them with those observed in patients with dengue and other arboviral diseases.

Evidence map of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption

Read more about Evidence map of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption

Objective

Systematize evidence on the effect of global interventions to reduce the consumption and/or sale of alcoholic beverages.

HIV prevalence among cervical (pre)cancer diagnoses in Suriname: a retrospective population study

Read more about HIV prevalence among cervical (pre)cancer diagnoses in Suriname: a retrospective population study

Objective

To determine the prevalence of HIV in women with (pre)cancerous cervical lesions in Suriname and their retention in care.

Maternal mortality in Panama from 1998 to 2022

Read more about Maternal mortality in Panama from 1998 to 2022

Objective

To examine maternal mortality in Panama, analyzing its direct obstetric deaths, indirect obstetric deaths, and contributory conditions.

Building health capacities through the HEARTS Initiative in the Dominican Republic

Read more about Building health capacities through the HEARTS Initiative in the Dominican Republic

Continuous education of health teams is essential to ensure outcomes that have a positive impact on community health. In 2019, through an agreement with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MISPAS), the Dominican Republic began implementing HEARTS, an initiative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). This aligned MISPAS with global best practices for the prevention and management of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, with a view to reducing mortality rates due to this noncommunicable disease (NCD).

Challenges to the digital inclusion of women in a vulnerable area in Colombia

Read more about Challenges to the digital inclusion of women in a vulnerable area in Colombia

Objective

To identify women’s technological capabilities and describe their appropriation and use of technology in a community in a vulnerable area of Colombia.

Method

Observational cross-sectional study conducted in the subregion of Urabá, Colombia. A survey was conducted in primary health care centers, in which 1478 women between 18 and 49 years of age responded to questions about their technological capabilities, their experience with the use of web-based information, and their appropriation of technology.