Epidemic trends, public health response and health system capacity: the Chilean experience in four months of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives.

To report the surveillance of COVID-19 pandemic in Chile and analyse the response to public health interventions implemented from 3 March to 30 June 2020 and to assess the risks of collapse of the health care system.

Methods.

We analysed the effective reproductive number, underreporting of cases, burden of critical beds, case fatality ratio and number of diagnostic RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2.

Monitoring access barriers to health services in the Americas: a mapping of household surveys

Objective.

To map the range of access barriers indicators for which data can be derived from household surveys in the Americas.

Methods.

A systematic mapping review study was conducted to identify access dimensions and indicators of access barriers for general health services already described in the literature; and identify whether data for those indicators could be derived from household surveys in the Americas and what was the methodology used in these surveys.

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak on the Caribbean islands of the Dutch Kingdom: a unique challenge

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic progresses, countries are depending on one another to acquire knowledge regarding effective measures to contain the virus. Public health measures to suppress transmissions have proven successful in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Implementing and adhering to these interventions is challenging, with governments struggling to find a balance between necessary mitigation and suppression strategies, and interruptions of social-economic activities.

Regulation of nursing practice in the Region of the Americas

Objective.

To describe and analyze the current nursing regulations across countries in the Region of the Americas.

Methods.

A country comparative analysis was carried out by gathering information from the ministries of health, nursing schools, councils, associations, and boards in 2018. The main categories evaluated were type of regulatory bodies, requirements for initial professional registration, and registration renewal.

Use of point-of-care technologies for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia

Objective.

To propose a health care model that integrates point-of-care technologies and artificial intelligence for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods.

A theoretical model was used in which one million people accessed the mobile application CoronApp-Colombia, which collects personal data, signs, symptoms and epidemiological links compatible with COVID-19. With the information from the app artificial intelligence techniques (data science) were applied in a virtual situation room.

A COVID-19 opportunity: Applying a systems approach to food security and noncommunicable diseases

[Extract] Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are highly dependent on food imports from larger nations, with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Pacific islands combined importing almost $5 billion in food in 2018, and more than half of SIDS countries importing more than 80% of their food, much of it nutritionally poor and highly processed (1). This has been an important driver of high levels of obesity (>30% of adults), food insecurity, and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (between 10-30% of adults) in these countries (2).

Malaria outbreak response in urban Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: lessons learned for community engagement

Community engagement is crucial for public health initiatives, yet it remains an under-studied process within national disease elimination programs. This report shares key lessons learned for community engagement practices during a malaria outbreak response in the Los Tres Brazos neighborhood of urban Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from 2015-2016. In this two-year period, 233 cases of malaria were reported—more than seven times the number of cases (31) reported in the previous two years.

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