PAHO and Epidemiology: Milestones in the Americas

The XVIII World Congress of Epidemiology took place in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 22 to 24 September, 2008. It was one of the most attended world congresses of Epidemiology in the history of the event, with more than 7,000 participants. On another historical note, it marked the 25 anniversary of the Seminar organized by PAHO in 1983 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which paved the way towards the future of the practice of epidemiology in the Americas. This year, PAHO is also celebrating the 20 years of the publication “The Challenge of Epidemiology,” an unprecedented contribution of the Organization to public health.

The Pan American Health Organization and the University of South Florida offer the course: Health in the Americas

Methods for the prevention and control of obesity and diabetes. Region of the Americas

Obesity and diabetes are affecting the peoples of the Americas at high and increasing rates. National surveys demonstrate that obesity is increasing in prevalence among all age groups. Studies in Chile (2000) and Mexico (2007) have shown that 7% to 12% of children under 5 years old and one-fifth of adolescents are obese (1), while in adults, surveys carried out between 2002 and 2007 in Central America and Belize, for example, have shown rates of overweight and obesity close to 60% (2), (3), (4).

Requirements for certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever in the Region of the Americas

On 4 September 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) established a group of experts to analyze the classification of areas within the countries representing a risk of transmission of yellow fever, in order to address the concern shared by many countries of limiting prevention measures to population groups and travelers really at risk.