The editorial team of the Pan American Journal of Public Health is grateful to those experts who reviewed manuscripts submitted for publication. Our deepest thanks to all for their generous contribution to the scientific quality of the articles published in the journal.
In the Region of the Americas, mental, neurological, and substance use disorders are among the principal contributors to morbidity, disability, injuries, and premature mortality, and they increase the risk of other health problems. Research provides an indispensable basis for appropriate policy making, planning, and evaluation in the field of mental health. The acquisition of new knowledge through research can help to ensure that every policy or decision is based on hard data and best practices.
Forty years ago, the World Health Organization member countries agreed on a set of principles at Alma-Ata to protect and promote health of all people by articulating primary health care as the guiding principle of a comprehensive health system. Since the declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978, countries of the Americas have been witnessing tremendous progress, economic growth, and improvements to their health systems.
The global health burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is large and growing, as this group of diseases already accounts for 70% of total deaths. Global evidence indicates that the high health burden of NCDs translates into significant economic and social costs that threaten to diminish the quality of life of millions of individuals, impoverish families, jeopardize universal health coverage, and increase health disparities within and between countries. Evidence consistently shows that the NCD epidemic cannot be tackled through interventions and policies in the health sector alone.
Objectives. To examine the relation of “shall-issue” laws, in which permits must be issued if requisite criteria are met; “may-issue” laws, which give law enforcement officials wide discretion over whether to issue concealed firearm carry permits or not; and homicide rates.
Methods. We compared homicide rates in shall-issue and may-issue states and total, firearm, nonfirearm, handgun, and long-gun homicide rates in all 50 states during the 25-year period of 1991 to 2015. We included year and state fixed effects and numerous state-level factors in the analysis.
Manner of death (MOD) classification (i.e., natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined cause) affects mortality surveillance and public health research, policy, and practice. Determination of MOD in deaths caused by drug intoxication is challenging, with marked variability across states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted a multidisciplinary meeting to discuss drug intoxication deaths as they relate to suicide and other MOD.
In late 2015, an increase in the number of infants born with microcephaly in poor communities in northeast Brazil prompted investigation of antenatal Zika infection as the cause. Zika now circulates in 69 countries, and has affected pregnancies of women in 29 countries. Public health officials, policymakers, and international organizations are considering interventions to address health consequences of the Zika epidemic.
During the XXV Meeting of the Pan American Health Organization’s Directing Council in September 1977, Resolution CD25.R27 was issued with the objective to reduce morbidity and mortality from common childhood and vaccine-preventable diseases and to create and expand permanent vaccination services in the primary healthcare system.
