Temporal trend and spatial distribution of mortality from neglected tropical diseases in Argentina 1991-2016
Objective.
Determine the mortality from neglected tropical diseases (NTD) in Argentina from 1991 to 2016, their overall temporal trend and the trend for the most frequent causes by age and sex.
Methods.
Argentina’s crude age-specific and age-adjusted mortality from NTDs were calculated for the period 1991-2016. The temporal trend was analyzed using joinpoint regression models.
Primary health care strategy and its impact on avoidable hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, Paraguay, 2000-2017
Objective.
Explore the effect of the implementation and strengthening of the primary care strategy (PHC) on hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (HACSC).
Training opportunities for noncommunicable diseases research in Latin America: A scoping review
Objective.
To identify gaps in postgraduate training and options for building capacity in noncommunicable disease (NCDs) research in Latin America.
Latin American consensus to define, categorize, and report multidrugresistant, extensively drug-resistant, or pandrug-resistant pathogens
This document presents a Latin American consensus to standardize definitions of different levels of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of public health importance. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are described for antibiotics to include (availability, relevance, and existence of cut-off values) and for methodologies to use. Three gram-negative microorganisms with a great impact in the hospital environment (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter spp.) were selected as a pilot proposal.
Mechanisms for strengthening clinical research: the Colombian experience
This article describes the regulatory changes and procedures introduced in Colombia that created favorable technical conditions for clinical trials of drugs in the country. The impact of these measures was measured in terms of the number of research centers certified in good clinical practice, the time taken to evaluate clinical trial protocols, and the quality of the concepts developed.
Effects of front-of-package nutritional labeling of food and beverages: synopsis of systematic reviews
Objectives.
Synthesize available information on the effects of front-of-package nutritional labeling on choice,
purchase, and consumption of food and beverages, and nutritional status of consumers, and identify factors that influence its effectiveness.
Developing a national patient safety plan in Guatemala
Objective.
Patient safety is challenging for health systems around the world, particularly in low- and middleincome countries such as Guatemala. The goal of this report is to summarize a strategic planning process for a national patient safety plan in Guatemala.
Quality of mammography and breast cancer screening in Argentina
This paper presents results from the mammography quality plan of the National Breast Cancer Program at Argentina’s National Cancer Institute, which focused on improving mammography quality in the public healthcare sector and on using mammography to implement breast cancer screening. Plan implementation started in 2011, based on the premise that poor quality mammography impedes early diagnosis of breast cancer.
The Pan American Health Organization-adapted Hanlon method for prioritization of health programs
Objectives.
To document the underlying science of how the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) adapted the Hanlon method, which prioritizes disease control programs, to its wider range of program areas and used it to implement the PAHO Strategic Plan 2014 – 2019.