Improving cardiovascular health in primary care in Saint Lucia through the HEARTS Initiative
Objective
To improve blood pressure control and hypertension registry coverage at six demonstration sites in St Lucia.
Chile’s public healthcare sector hypertension control rates before and during the pandemic and HEARTS implementation
Hypertension (arterial blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, with the greatest burden of attributable deaths in Chile, having a national prevalence of 27.6%.
HEARTS in the Americas appraisal checklist and clinical pathway for comprehensive hypertension management in primary care
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the Region of the Americas, and hypertension represents its main risk factor. However, population hypertension control rates in the Region are poor. Global Hearts is the World Health Organization's flagship initiative to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases. HEARTS in the Americas Initiative is its regional adaptation that seeks to be the cardiovascular disease risk management model, including hypertension and diabetes, in primary health care throughout the Americas by 2025.
Children and the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a Caribbean perspective
This study aims to assess coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance methods, health resources, vaccination coverage and income stratification and quantify burdens of disease and death in children and adolescents in the Caribbean. The investigation was a descriptive, cross-sectional study that included 15 Caribbean countries/territories and utilized surveys and secondary data sources. Quarantine and isolation measures were robust and surveillance strategies were similar.
Mortality from cancer, arsenic, and nitrates in drinking water and cropland in Argentina
Objective
Cancer mortality in the central region of Argentina is among the highest in the country. Two possible environmental factors could explain this situation: agricultural activity and drinking water quality. The objective of the study is to evaluate the interaction between these variables.
Current status of the knowledge on the epidemiology of tungiasis in the Americas
Objectives
To present the state-of-the-knowledge on the epidemiology of tungiasis in the Region of the Americas.
Methods
A search of publications on the epidemiology of tungiasis in the Americas was performed in PubMed and LILACS databases from January 2007 to June 2021. In addition, a manual literature search on articles on the epidemiology of tungiasis was performed.
A structural method to assess the course of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in school environments
The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed several dilemmas for managers in the public sector, with school reopening being among the most complex decisions. The present article presents a microsimulation model of the pandemic course considering various scenarios within the confines of a classroom in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. For that, a susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) model was integrated with a random graph model, associating epidemiological characteristics with sociometric and sociodemographic factors.
Road traffic injury risk from alcohol and cannabis use among emergency department patients in Argentina
Objective
To report the risk from alcohol, cannabis, and their combined use for non-fatal road traffic injuries for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Methods
Risk was estimated using the case-crossover method. Participants (N= 306) were injured patients from an emergency department in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Regulatory reliance pathways during health emergencies: enabling timely authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America
Objectives
To map the timing and nature of regulatory reliance pathways used to authorize COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America.
Methods
An observational study was conducted assessing the characteristics of all COVID-19 vaccine authorizations in Latin America. For every authorization it was determined whether reliance was used in the authorization process. Subgroups of reference national regulatory authorities (NRAs) and non-reference NRAs were compared.
Mathematical and statistical models for the control of mosquito-borne diseases: the experience of Costa Rica
Objective
To summarize the results of research conducted in Costa Rica in which mathematical and statistical methods were implemented to study the transmission dynamics of mosquito-borne diseases.
Methods
Three articles with mathematical and statistical analysis on vector-borne diseases in Costa Rica were selected and reviewed. These papers show the value and relevance of using different quantitative methods to understand disease dynamics and support decision-making.
