Objective

To describe the life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, disease burden, and leading causes of mortality and disability in adults aged 65 years and older in the Region of the Americas from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

We used estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to examine the level and trends of life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

Objective

To identify key indicators that will allow empirical measurement of a health system’s responsiveness to older people.

This letter is available only in Spanish .

Available in Spanish only.

Objective

To describe the results of a virtual and in-person accompaniment strategy based on person-centered care of patients hospitalized for suspected or confirmed disease due to the novel 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19).

Objective

To determine the impact of household out-of-pocket health spending, financial protection levels, and their inequality according to relevant variables in the countries of the Region; to investigate their evolution and relationship with health system services utilization.

This paper highlights the important leadership role of the public health sector, working with other governmental sectors and nongovernmental entities, to advance environmental public health in Latin America and the Caribbean toward the achievement of 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 3: Health and Well-Being. The most pressing current and future environmental public health threats are discussed, followed by a brief review of major historical and current international and regional efforts to address these concerns.

Objective

To describe the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Colombia.

Methods

Critical review of epidemiological studies of HCV infection in Colombia. The PubMed, SciELO, and ScienceDirect databases were searched for original articles and reviews on the subject published from 1989 to 2020. Reports from the National Institute of Health and the High Cost Account of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection were also reviewed.

The European Commission and 22 of its Member States cofinanced, in 2017-2019, the first joint action to address frailty in older persons, known as ADVANTAGE Joint Action. The initiative developed a common strategy, based on the best scientific evidence, to position healthy aging and frailty as priority public health issues in the participating countries and thus contribute to uniformly addressing frailty across Europe. This article details the methodology and main achievements of ADVANTAGE and includes an analysis of the key factors contributing to its success.

[Extract] In just the past 50 years, life expectancy has increased by more than 20 years. This significant increase in longevity is due in part to advances in medicine, public health interventions, biotechnology, and social and economic development that have made it possible for people to live longer than at any other time in history (1).