scholarly journals Mayaro virus in Latin America and the Caribbean

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niloofar Ganjian ◽  
Ana Riviere-Cinnamond
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Mayaro Virus ◽  
Health Organization

Objectives. To assess the distribution of Mayaro virus (MAYV) in Latin America and the Caribbean and evaluate existing country-level MAYV surveillance mechanisms. Methods. Research was conducted from May 2018 through May 2019 to collect data from academic literature on Mayaro fever in Latin America and the Caribbean. PubMed, ClinicalKey, Scopus, Nature, SciELO, LILACS, and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed journal articles, and data from health authorities, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and ministries of health, was also sought. MAYV-related publications published from 1954 through 2019 were screened. Publications that added to the overall understanding of MAYV, including its geographical and epidemiological distribution, were included in this report. Results. A total of 901 MAYV cases have been reported in humans in countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since its discovery in 1954 in Trinidad and Tobago, MAYV has been isolated from individuals living in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Of those 901 cases, 42 of them were reported exclusively by health authorities. In contrast, 843 confirmed and presumptive autochthonous cases and an additional 16 imported cases were identified in academic literature. No country-level surveillance mechanisms for MAYV were recorded in academic literature or by health authorities. Conclusions. This report demonstrates that MAYV surveillance efforts are limited in comparison to the virus’s presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the importance of enhancing arboviral surveillance systems in the affected countries.

scholarly journals Assessing electronic immunization registries: the Pan American Health Organization experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Carolina Danovaro-Holliday ◽  
Marcela P. Contreras ◽  
Dalys Pinto ◽  
Ida Berenice Molina-Aguilera ◽  
Diana Miranda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Pan American ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Health Organization

Objective.To develop a methodology to assess electronic immunization registries (EIRs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Latin America and the Caribbean.Methods.A team from the Immunization Unit at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reviewed existing methodologies to evaluate health information systems, particularly the Performance of Routine Information System Management (PRISM) framework and methodologies used to assess information systems. In 2014, the PAHO team convened a small working group to develop an evaluation approach to be added to the existing World Health Organization immunization data quality self-assessment (DQS) tool. The resulting DQS with an added EIR component was named “DQS Plus.” The DQS Plus methodology was used in Panama in May 2014 and in Honduras in November 2015.Results.The DQS Plus tool proved feasible and easy to implement in Panama and Honduras, including by not adding much time or resources to those needed for a usual DQS. The information obtained from the DQS Plus assessment was practical and helped provide health authorities with recommendations to update and improve their EIR, strengthen the use of the registry, and enhance the data the assessment produced, at all levels of the health system. These recommendations are currently being implemented in the two countries.Conclusions.The DQS Plus proved to be a practical and useful approach for assessing an EIR in an LMIC and generating actionable recommendations. Further work on defining operational and related EIR functional standards in LMICs will help develop an improved EIR assessment tool for Latin America and the Caribbean, and potentially elsewhere.

scholarly journals Leptospirosis in Latin America: exploring the first set of regional data

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Schneider ◽  
Deise Galan Leonel ◽  
Patricia Najera Hamrick ◽  
Eduardo Pacheco de Caldas ◽  
Reina Teresa Velásquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
First Year ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
New Information ◽  
Open Access Database ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
Health Organization

Objectives.To demonstrate the importance of country surveillance systems for leptospirosis and their use for preliminary epidemiological analysis, as well as to generate research questions for future, morecomprehensive studies on the disease.Methods.In 2015, for the first time, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) included human cases of leptospirosis in its Regional Core Health Data Initiative, an open-access database that collects annual health indicators from the countries and territories of the Americas. This new information was used to analyze leptospirosis cases by country and sex and to calculate cumulative incidence rates. Maps were used to help present the results. To supplement that general review of leptospirosis in the Americas, more detailed descriptions of the epidemiological situation and the surveillance programs of four selected countries (Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Honduras) were provided.Results.In this first year of PAHO requesting leptospirosis data, of the 49 countries and territories in the Americas, 38 of them (77.6%) reported information. Among those 38, 28 of them (73.7%) reported the presence of human cases; the majority of instances of zero cases were in Caribbean territories. From those 28, a total of 10 702 human cases were recorded. The largest numbers of cases in Latin America were in Brazil (40.2%), Peru (23.6%), Colombia (8.8%), and Ecuador (7.2%). The cumulative incidence rate for Latin America was estimated to be 2.0 per 100 000 population. On average, 65.1% of cases were males.Conclusions.This study demonstrates that many countries in Latin America are making efforts to establish strong surveillance systems and programs for leptospirosis. The study also shows the importance of having leptospirosis surveillance systems as well as how the information generated can be used for evidence-based decision-making on leptospirosis.

Serological Responses in Patients Infected with Mayaro Virus and Evaluation of Cross-Protective Responses against Chikungunya Virus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathen E. Bopp ◽  
Kara J. Jencks ◽  
Crystyan Siles ◽  
Carolina Guevara ◽  
Stalin Vilcarromero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
South America ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Chikungunya Virus ◽  
Neutralization Test ◽  
Close Relative ◽  
Previous Exposure ◽  
Chikv Infection ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Mayaro Virus

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an alphavirus endemic to both Latin America and the Caribbean. Recent reports have questioned the ability of MAYV and its close relative, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), to generate cross-reactive, neutralizing antibodies to one another. Since CHIKV was introduced to South America in 2013, discerning whether individuals have cross-reactive antibodies or whether they have had exposures to both viruses previously has been difficult. Using samples obtained from people infected with MAYV prior to the introduction of CHIKV in the Americas, we performed neutralizing assays and observed no discernable neutralization of CHIKV by sera from patients previously infected with MAYV. These data suggest that a positive CHIKV neutralization test cannot be attributed to prior exposure to MAYV and that previous exposure to MAYV may not be protective against a subsequent CHIKV infection.

scholarly journals Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Latin America and the Caribbean

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401987106
Author(s):  
Marisa Bucheli ◽  
Maximo Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Partner Violence Against Women

We analyze individual and country factors that explain attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most patterns at individual level are similar to the international ones: for example, approval of IPVAW is higher among women and people in rural areas or in disadvantaged socio-economic situations. The most novel contribution of our work is the study of the variables at country level: approval of IPVAW increases with poverty, fertility rate, and equal gender outcomes. It decreases with Internet access and, less robustly, with the time elapsed since the enactment of women’s suffrage.

A review of assessment indicators used by Healthy Municipalities and Communities Program in Latin America and the Caribbean region

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-729
Author(s):  
Raul Chaparro ◽  
Santiago Melendi ◽  
Marilina Santero ◽  
Mariana Seijo ◽  
Natalia Elorriaga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Promotion Policies ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Evaluation And Monitoring ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The Healthy Municipalities and Communities Strategy (HMCS) was developed by the Pan American Health Organization in 1990. Evaluation and monitoring are fundamental components of health promotion policies. The aim of this study is to explore the indicators used in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries to assess the performance of HMCS. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, BVSDE and Google Advanced Search for documents published between January 2000 and April 2016. We included only documents with assessment indicators of the strategy. All articles were independently assessed for eligibility by pairs of reviewers. We classified the indicators with a supporting framework proposed by O’Neill and Simard (Choosing indicators to evaluate Healthy Cities projects: a political task? Health Promot Int 2006, 21, 145–152.). Local level indicators figured far more prominently among countries and were distributed both in projects and specific activities. Regarding the evolution of the HMCS, indicators were reported in the five levels of analysis (local projects and activities, provincial, national and international networks). Empowerment was represented through the presence of active community organizations and different methods of community participation (forums, open hearing and participation maps). Public policies (such as for tobacco cessation) and bylaws adherence and changes in school’s curricula regarding healthy eating were frequently mentioned. However, this review demonstrated that impact indicators related to lifestyle changes or built environment are not clearly defined and there is a lack of indicators to measure progress in achieving change in long-term outcomes in LAC. We highlight the importance of designing validated indicators for measuring the impact of health promotion policies in partnership with each country involved.

Development of performance indicators for Water-energy-food security and its application in Latin America and the Caribbean

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Mahlknecht ◽  
Ramon Gonzalez ◽  
Frank Loge
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Key Indicators

<p>Understanding water-energy-food interrelatedness and interdependencies (WEF Nexus) over environmental resources can result in improved water, energy, and food security by integrating management and governance across sectors and scales, reducing tradeoffs, and building synergies, overall promoting sustainability and a transition to green economy. One of the most relevant research areas on the Nexus is the development of indexes to assess the performance of the three sectors and their interlinkages. These tools are essential to understanding the Nexus concept and to determine areas for improvement, especially in developing countries. To evaluate the WEF Nexus for a developing region, namely Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), two approaches are proposed to evaluate water, energy and food security at intra-country level. First, a composite diagram was developed for LAC countries and subregions that considers three key indicators per sector: availability, access, and sustainability of the sector’s resources. Second, an analysis was performed for selected countries using internal factors that represent the most important interrelationships that exist within the WEF Nexus. The results show that access to food in LAC is relatively low in comparison to other developing regions. Regarding renewable energy sources, with the exception of some countries, the region’s share (including hydroelectricity) in electricity production is low. Water resources represent the most vulnerable sector for food and energy development of the countries (water for food, and water for energy), as well as the need to implement green infrastructure for sustainable water production (food for water).</p>

scholarly journals Influenza in Brazil: surveillance pathways

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ligia Cantarino ◽  
Edgar Merchan-Hamann
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
World Health ◽  
Influenza Surveillance ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Model Set ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Worldwide Network

Influenza is a viral disease of global concern that has demanded the attention of health authorities. Since 1947, as a preventive measure, the World Health Organization monitors viral circulation to define the annual vaccine through a worldwide network of laboratories. This article presents the structuring of influenza surveillance in Brazil and highlights virological surveillance and the role of diagnostic laboratories as well as the expansion of actions to improve detection and expedite responses. The model set corresponds to sentinel surveillance complemented by the universal notification of severe acute respiratory syndrome investigating outbreaks, deaths, and unusual events and monitoring hospitalization and mortality in an expanded surveillance. In this review, we address aspects of influenza surveillance in animals, the need for interagency integration, and the sharing of information in many surveillance systems.

scholarly journals Mental health in Latin America and the Caribbean

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-8
Author(s):  
Jorge J. Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
World Health ◽  
Paper Briefly ◽  
Mental Health Reform ◽  
Pan American ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Made In

Mental illnesses are a growing health problem and reducing the treatment gap in Latin America and the Caribbean is a great challenge. Evaluations conducted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that the responsiveness of health services is still limited. Nonetheless, from an evaluation of how mental health reform has progressed in the region following the historical benchmark of the Caracas Declaration (1990), it is clear that – despite the limitations, shortcomings and challenges – significant progress has been made in most countries. This paper briefly reviews this progress.

Digital Resources: The Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orchid Mazurkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
The World ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
College Libraries ◽  
Latin American And Caribbean

HAPI began as a local project at Arizona State University (ASU) in 1973. Its founder, Barbara G. Valk, the librarian responsible for Latin American materials at ASU, wanted to provide an index to the university’s periodical literature on the region, which was something that had been unavailable since the cessation of the OAS-sponsored Index to Latin American Periodicals in 1970. Following the success of the project, HAPI moved to the UCLA Latin American Center (now Latin American Institute) in 1976, where Valk used a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund further development of an annual printed edition of the index. This annual volume would continue to be published through 2008. HAPI was first searchable online via Telnet in 1991 and CD-ROM in 1992; its first website debuted in 1997. Now exclusively available online, HAPI is a self-supporting, not-for-profit publishing unit within UCLA, with subscribers (primarily university and college libraries) around the world. Free subscriptions are provided to institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. HAPI now contains over 300,000 citations to journal articles about Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latina/os in the United States and around the world. Articles date back to 1968 following an early retrospective indexing project to cover the gap between the last volume of the Index to Latin American Periodicals and the first volume of HAPI. Almost 400 journal titles are currently indexed and over 600 titles have been included since HAPI’s creation. Subject coverage includes the social sciences and the humanities; history titles represent the largest single subject area covered. HAPI aims to provide access to the most well-known and influential titles in Latin American studies as well as to regional titles that are less well known and often underrepresented in disciplinary indexes with limited Latin American and Caribbean content. Librarians (staff and volunteers) with relevant subject training examine each article and create bibliographic descriptions, subject headings, and keywords for multiple access points to the journal content. Searches can be carried out in English, Spanish, or Portuguese on HAPI’s trilingual website. HAPI has provided links to the online full-text content of many of its indexed titles since 2003. At that time, with university and college libraries spending heavily on commercial databases, students and scholars were increasingly expecting easy access to the full text of journal articles, but few Latin American and Caribbean journals were included in these commercial products. With limited financial and technological resources, HAPI was unable to become a full-text publisher; instead, HAPI staff focused on tracking down and linking to the full text of the indexed journals wherever they could find it, especially in two Open Access regional databases: Mexico’s Redalyc and Brazil’s SciELO. A vibrant Open Access movement in Latin America has led to a dramatic increase in the free online availability of the region’s journals and unprecedented access to this content for scholars around the world. Over 75 percent of the Latin American journals indexed by HAPI now include links to freely available full text.

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