World Breastfeeding Week

The mission of the Pan American Journal of Public Health is to serve as an important vehicle for disseminating scientific public health information relevant to the Region of the Americas. The journal aims to strengthen national and local health systems and to bridge the gap between health care and policy-makers, ultimately improving the health of the peoples of the Americas.

Homicide among young people in the countries of the Americas

Objective

To examine the homicide trends among young people (10–24 years), adolescents (10–19 years), and young adults (20–24 years) in 33 countries in the Americas between 2000 and 2019, with a focus on inequalities between countries in the burden of homicides.

Methods

An ecological study was performed using estimated deaths from 33 countries. Age-adjusted rates, percentage change (PC), average annual percentage change (AAPC), and relative risk (RR) were estimated; besides, analysis on social inequalities was performed.

Elimination of cervical cancer in Latin America (Project ECHO-ELA): lessons from phase one of implementation

We describe the outcomes of The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes-Elimination of Cervical Cancer in The Americas (ECHO-ELA) program, which was developed as a tri-lateral cooperation between Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson). The program’s purpose is to disseminate strategies for cervical cancer prevention and is structured around the three pillars of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy and the associated 90-70-90 target goals.

PAHO 120th Anniversary

In 2022, the Pan American Health Organization celebrated its 120th anniversary. The countries of the Americas recognized early on the need to "organize a united front against the spread of epidemics and infectious diseases" and in 1902 they created the Pan American Sanitary Bureau–later renamed the Pan American Health Organization–which also became the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. 

Community participation in health as an essential element for health system strengthening in the Americas

The present narrative review discusses the relevance and challenges of community participation in health for health system strengthening. Based on a definition of community participation in health as a dynamic process that gives people access and control over health resources through involvement and experience, the article summarizes information obtained from documents and debate at an international event (Seminario Internacional: Experiencias y Modelos de Participación en Salud en América Latina y el Caribe).

Recommendations for the development of resilient health systems in the Americas

This article offers opinion and analysis outlining strategic lines of action to build resilient health systems while promoting recovery in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period, with a view to maintaining and protecting public health gains. It contextualizes the challenges and opportunities in the Region of the Americas and offers recommendations for implementation of the strategic lines.

The role of a genetically stable, novel oral type 2 poliovirus vaccine in the poliomyelitis endgame

Poliovirus infection causes paralysis in up to 1 in 200 infected persons. The use of safe and effective inactivated poliovirus vaccines and live attenuated oral poliovirus vaccines (OPVs) means that only two pockets of wildtype poliovirus type 1 remain, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, OPVs can revert to virulence, causing outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). During 2020–2022, cVDPV type 2 (cVDPV2) was responsible for 97–99% of poliomyelitis cases, mainly in Africa.

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