The Region of the Americas, together with the rest of the world, is preparing to face the major challenges presented by the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, whose 17 objectives include health and well-being, the reduction of inequity, and action on a wide range of social and environmental determinants of health.
We assessed public health use of R0, the basic reproduction number, which estimates the speed at which a disease is capable of spreading in a population. These estimates are of great public health interest, as evidenced during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus pandemic. We reviewed methods commonly used to estimate R0, examined their practical utility, and assessed how estimates of this epidemiological parameter can inform mitigation strategy decisions.
This special issue of the Pan American Journal of Public Health on women’s health aims to identify and reflect on the main challenges that demographic, social, and epidemiological changes will pose to women’s health in the Region of the Americas in the coming years.
Collecting and applying the evidence is the first step toward increasing coverage of eye health services; minimizing barriers; and reducing the eye health-related disease burden, dependency and disparity. Monitoring epidemiological trends in eye disease, evaluating eye care services, and reporting the results help provide evidence of each country’s progress in implementing the Plan and guide service and resource allocation. The Pan American Journal of Public Health Series on Eye Health reports recent data on eye health obtained in the Region of the Americas.
Carissa F. Etienne
Marcelo D’Agostino, Najeeb Al-Shorbaji, Patricia Abbott, Theresa Bernardo, Kendall Ho, Chaitali Sinha, and David Novillo-Ortiz
REFLEXIONES DE LA DIRECTORA / FROM THE DIRECTOR
Social determinants of health in the Americas
Determinantes sociales de la salud en las Américas
Carissa F. Etienne
EDITORIALES / EDITORIALS
The Latin America and Caribbean region has experienced remarkable progress in terms of economic development and health outcomes, enjoying a relatively good position in the developing world context. Unfortunately, this apparent privileged position in terms of accomplishments is based on regional averages that hide troubling and persistent inequalities among and within the countries.
Mirta Roses Periago
