What is the Guide for Documenting Health Promotion Initiatives? 

The Documentation Guide’s primary purpose is to create a simple, standard format to help support documentation of health promotion initiatives. Use of the Guide will expand available indications about whether and how efforts are working to create conditions that promote health and health equity. The Guide is in the form of a seven-part questionnaire, that asks for information about the health promotion initiative. 

Why should you use the Guide for Documenting Health Promotion Initiatives? 

There are a number of good reasons to use the Guide: (1) You will be contributing to an evidence base that will help advance the field of health promotion; (2) You will be contributing to a better understanding about what is successful in the Americas and expose the rest of the world to significant health promotion practices in the Region; (3) Sharing information through the use of the Guide will allow you to connect with others in the field; (4) By involving community partners through participatory action research, you can empower participants in your initiative; (5) Use of the Guide will result in a careful analysis of your effort and help you to better understand your strengths and pinpoint areas to improve; (6) Documentation will make it possible to communicate what you have accomplished to others; and (7) Describing the accomplishments of your effort can raise your group’s profile.

• Guide for Documenting Health Promotion Initiatives  - To submit your completed version of the Guide for Documenting Health Promotion Initiatives, please fill out this PDF version and send it to: hpd@moss.paho.org.  
• Guidelines - Please use these guidelines to orient you as you are filling out the Guide for Documenting Health Promotion Initiatives.  
• Legal Agreements  - Please sign and send in this document, along with your completed version of the Guide for Documenting Health Promotion Initiatives to: hpd@moss.paho.org. 

NOTE: If you are experiencing technical problems using the pdf version of the "Guide for Documenting Health Promotion Initiatives", please use the this word document version. We have been experiencing some problems with the pdf version, and this word document is a temporary solution.

Washington, D.C.: OPS, © 2009
ISBN: 978-92-75-313181-7
This document summarizes discussion and the most relevant recommendations emerging from an expert “Regional Consultation on Health Promotion and the Provision of Care to Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

The Regional Consultation was held July 14-16, 2009, in Panama City,Panama, and was organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF); the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); the World Association of Sexology (WAS); and the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC). The Regional Consultation was made possible through the financial support of GTZ (Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit).

More than 50 experts from North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean participated in the consultation and contributed knowledge and expertise producing a set of tools that will guide planning and implementation of health promotion and health care activities for MSM in the Region.

English [pdf 743kb]
Spanish [pdf 776kb]
Portuguese [pdf 792kb]

This document summarizes discussion and the most relevant recommendations emerging from an expert “Regional Consultation on Health Promotion and the Provision of Care to Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

The Regional Consultation was held July 14-16, 2009, in Panama City,Panama, and was organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF); the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); the World Association of Sexology (WAS); and the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC). The Regional Consultation was made possible through the financial support of GTZ (Gesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit).

More than 50 experts from North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean participated in the consultation and contributed knowledge and expertise producing a set of tools that will guide planning and implementation of health promotion and health care activities for MSM in the Region.

English [pdf 743kb]
Spanish [pdf 776kb]
Portuguese [pdf 792kb]

In the PAHO Chronic Disease Project, one team is dedicated to Diet and Physical Activity as the third of the four mains lines of action in the Regional Strategy for Chronic Disease Prevention, with the objective of promoting social and economic conditions that address the determinants of chronic diseases and empower people to increase control over their health and adopt healthy behaviors. Click below on "Read more ..." to find out more about the program, its activities and products, and its partners.

New Study: Policy and Action for Cancer Prevention: Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity | Spanish version for Latin America

Regional Technical Meeting on School Health Promotion                             “Closing the Gap between Evidence and Action”
Date and Venue
Date: March 31st-April 1st, 2010    Meeting Venue: Occidental Miramar Hotel Havana, Cuba   Meeting Summary  Sintesis de la reunión
Objectives/Background
Review lessons learned and good practices in Health Promoting schools in Latin America and the  Caribbean  Align priorities in the cooperation to improve and expand the network of Health Promoting Schools in Latin America and the Caribbean Establish a common working agenda and objectives for 2010-2011.  Information Bulletin  Boletin de Informacion (ESP)
Agenda
Participants
Over 44 experts from 22 countries of the Latin America and Caribbean were invited to the meeting. Participants included representatives of Ministries of Health, Ministries of Education,  Academia, NGOs and representatives of UNESCO,  UNICEF and PAHO  Participant List    Presentations Introduction Policies   Evidence   Construcción colectiva de un conocimiento técnico  Global School Bases Student Health Survey   Implementation  Fortalecer los procesos de implementación y estrategias metodológicas   Datos e Interrogantes de EPS Registro Regional de Redes de EPS / OPS Inequities  EJE DE EQUIDAD: MUNICIPIOS Y ESCUELAS VULNERABLES   Alliances  Bettering the Partnerships with Different Sectors and Organizations     Reading Material   agua, saneamiento, e higiene en escuelas (ESP)  Boletin Escuela Alcohol (ESP)  Boletín Escolar Lavados do manos  Call to Action for WASH in Schools Advocacy Pack 2010  Call to Action for WASH in Schools Communications Strategy 2010  Declaración Reunión OMS Vancouver 2007 (ESP)  La Evidencia de la Eficacia de la Promocion de la Salud  PROTOCOLOS Y DIRECTRICES PARA LAS ESCUELAS PROMOTORAS DE SALUD  Salud y Cambio Climatico

 

Re

Presentations

ading Materials

Coordinators

,                      

PCPCD activities in Peru support the lines of action of the “Macroregional Plan for the Elimination of Triatoma infestans and the Interruption of Transfusional Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi,” which targets the southern region of the country. The Plan contains specific activities for the early diagnosis and timely treatment of the disease, screening of blood donors through serological testing, institutional management, and operational research. It also includes health promotion and education, community participation, elimination of Triatoma infestans, and epidemiological surveillance, which are the areas that the Program supports.

The PCPCD began in December 2002 in 2 districts in the department of Arequipa. Based on the achievement of its results and political support, the Program has expanded to 15 districts in Arequipa as well as the departments of Moquegua and Tacna.

The Peru project has achieved the following:

• Achieved a signed agreement between the Ministry of Health, PAHO and mayors of 25 districts in the 3 departments to include funding for Chagas in their municipal development plans for the execution of health promotion, prevention and control activities (July 2008).

• •

  On 4 December 2009, the interruption of the vector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi by Triatoma infestans in Tacna, Peru was certified. This is the first area in Peru to reach this public health milestone.
•  Additional districts were added from the two original districts in Arequipa (Hunter and Tiabaya) to reach a total of 15 districts in Arequipa, 8 in Moquega and 8 in Tacna.
• Over 500 community surveillance posts have been created – integrated management of vectors.
• Includes an important social communication component for community mobilization.
• Generated a high degree of community participation in its action to increase the potential to sustain its actions and achievements.

By joining the Partners' Forum, all members are able to increase the impact and innovation of their efforts to prevent chronic disease and promote health.   They will accelerate their engagement with critical stakeholders, develop knowledge of best practices, and build capacity for effective cross-sector partnering.

• Innovation and Impact – Increase the efficiency, scale, and creativity of your efforts by pooling your perspective, resources, and talents with others
• Access – Engage with key players from across sectors and regions on the topics and initiatives that matter most to you
• Knowledge – Learn what works, exchange best practices, stay at the cutting edge of new developments, and discover new opportunities
• Capacity – Receive support in the development of new partnerships and training in effective cross-sector partnering

This page contains a series of commentaries by the different stakeholders of the Partners' Forum, describing the position taken by each of them, in the order listed below:

• International Business Leader Forum
• Pepsico
• Consumers International
• Kraft Foods
• Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
• Departamento de Análise de Situação de Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde - Ministério da Saúde
• World Economic Forum
• InterAmerican Heart Foundation
• The Coca-Cola Company
• Pan American Health and Education Foundation
• CDC/WHO Collaborating Center for Physical Activity and Health
• The International Fruit and Vegetable Alliance (IFAVA)
• Chronic Disease Research Centre, University of the West Indies
• EMBARQ, The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport, WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
• Sanofi Aventis
• World Health Organization

Click below to see the individual commentaries.

CARICOM / PAHO to launch Media Competition on Caribbean Wellness Day

The Caribbean Community Secretariat in partnership with Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is launching a competition among Caribbean Media in the reporting and documentation of activities related to the observance of Caribbean Wellness Day on 12 September 2009.

Updated information about the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment/ PRAT, Developmental Disorders, Fluoridation, HIV/AIDS, Noma, Nutrition and Oral Health, Oral Cancer.  This section includes training manuals for oral health projects.

From 4 to 16 August, art becomes a bridge to health access for thousands of people in a remote and vulnerable community in Peru with the arrival of some 100 humanitarian clowns and international public health experts from 12 countries, as part of the Pan American Health Organization’s Faces, Voices and Places Initiative for the Millennium Development Goals.

World Health Day 2010 is dedicated to urbanization and health. The campaign highlights the impact of urban living on human health and encourages efforts to make cities healthier places for people to live.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the world’s most urbanized region, with more than three-quarters of its 433 million people living in cities. It is also the world’s most inequitable region, with more than 190 million people living in poverty. A large percentage of these poor live in urban slums or neighborhoods blighted by problems linked to rapid, unplanned urbanization.

The policy line of action in the Regional Strategy for Chronic Diseases encourages and provides technical cooperation for the establishment of sound and explicit public policies that support better health status and a life free of chronic disease-related disability, in initiatives taken to establish public health policies based on key WHO resolutions and recommendations that will address the broad social, economic, and political determinants of health.

Advocacy will be utilized to advance policy and institutional changes that will support chronic disease programs. It will emphasize the key role of governmental functions and empower the health sector to engage other sectors in collaborative actions to ensure that chronic disease issues are collectively addressed.

Chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs)—namely cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes—are the leading causes of premature death and disability in most countries in the Americas, accounting for 60%–70% of all deaths in the Region. These diseases share common risk factors which include tobacco use, physical inactivity, obesity and hypertension (high blood pressure). There is sufficient evidence that CNCDs can be prevented and controlled through changes in lifestyle, public policies and health interventions, and that they require an intersectoral and integrated approach.

Click below for an overview of PAHO’s strategy for chronic disease prevention and control, with links to separate sections each of the strategy's main lines of action: diet and physical activity, integrated disease management, chronic noncommunicable disease (CNCD) policy and advocacy, and CNCD surveillance and on PAHO’s partnerships, communication vehicles, resolutions, materials, archives, etc.

Health experts of several countries will meet from July 14 to 16 to propose programs to improve the health of men who have sex with men in Latin America. Approximately 40 participants are expected, including government officials, civil society representatives, advisors of the United Nations system, and experts in various technical fields.

Previous GSHS Events   

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program

The alcohol and substance abuse program provides leadership and technical cooperation to Member States on public health policies related to alcohol consumption and the use of psychoactive substances (illegal or used for non medical purposes).  Therefore, it generates and disseminates information on alcohol and drug consumption and related harms, evidence based policies and interventions, and monitors trends in consumption and related problems, with the goal of minimizing the negative health outcomes associated with their use.  Among the various psychoactive substances consumed in the region, alcohol is a leading risk factor for the burden of disease. 

The harmful consumption of alcohol is associated with a range of health and social consequences, including injuries, several forms of cancer, chronic liver disease, heart disease, alcohol dependence, and domestic violence.  Priority cross-cutting issues for the program include: gender, human rights, health promotion and services in primary health care.

On this site you can find many resources with information on the impact alcohol and substance abuse have on health in the Americas.

Summary of a Regional Consultation on Health Promotion and the Provision of Care to Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Latin America and the Caribbean (2009)

Global Guidance Briefs on HIV Interventions for Young People (2008) (WHO site)

The Multiple Faces of the Intersections between HIV and Violence Against Women (2008)

What UN Staff in Latin America and the Caribbean need to say about the HIV epidemic (2005)

Regional HIV/STI Plan for the Health Sector 2006 - 2015 (2005)

Promotion of Sexual Health: Recommendations for Action (2000)

Until 21 August, Argentina is hosting the first World Fair on Municipalities and Health: Rights, Citizenship, and Integrated Local Management for Development, one of the year’s most important international health events, with around 3,000 participants expected. The Fair will highlight the experiences of municipalities within and outside the country that have improved the living conditions of their communities.

For the first time in world history, more than half the world’s population lives in cities, and that proportion is expected to grow to 70 percent by the year 2050. Addressing the unique health challenges brought by this urbanization is critical to ensuring the future health and well-being of the majority of the world’s people, experts said at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) during the celebration of World Health Day 2010.

The Pan American Health Organization over the years has recognized Public Health Heroes for their invaluable contributions to public health in the Americas. They come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and fields of work and share one common goal: improving the health and well-being of the peoples of the Western Hemisphere. These Public Health Heroes represent a select few among the countless heroes behind the ongoing struggles and remarkable achievements in the quest for a healthy Americas.

The Public Health Heroes of the Americas are:

• Dr. Carlos Canseco of Mexico, an allergy specialist practicing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, served for many years with Rotary, including a tenure as president of Rotary International. In his work with Rotary he was particularly active in a plan to immunize all the world's children against polio. In 1982, he worked with Dr. Albert Sabin, the inventor of oral polio vaccine, in developing an aerosol vaccine to prevent measles. He is a former state health minister and serves as chairman of the PolioPlus Speakers Bureau.
• Dr. Jacinto Convit of Venezuela is a world renowned expert in leprosy and tropical diseases. He worked with a group of researchers at the Biomedical Institute to create a model vaccine composed of heat killed leprosy parasite that treats leprosy and leishmaniasis. He is currently the Director of the Cooperative Center of Therapeutic Leprosy Research of the World Health Organization in Venezuela and Director of the Collaborating Center for Reference and Research in Histological Detection and Classification of Leprosy for WHO.
• Dr. Mirna Cunningham of Nicaragua. Dr. Cunningham is a Miskito Indian and political leader of indigenous peoples. For more than 10 years she worked as a teacher and as a doctor in hospitals and health clinics throughout Nicaragua. She was also the Director of Research and Chair for the North Atlantic Autonomous Region in the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health. She served as Minister of Government to the North Atlantic Autonomous Region and is currently the Rector of the University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua and Executive Secretary of the Inter American Indian Institute in Mexico.
• Dr. Donald A. Henderson of the United States, directed the global smallpox eradication program for the World Health Organization and was instrumental in initiating WHO's poliomyelitis eradication program. He is the director of the Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Following the events of Sept. 11 and concerns surrounding bioterrorism, Dr. Henderson was named director of the office of Public Health Preparedness by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.
• Dr. Jose Jordan of Cuba, a world-renown pediatrician and expert in nutrition, growth and development, directed the award winning Cuban National Child Growth Study in the 1970s. He is the author of five books, has contributed over 20 chapters to textbooks published worldwide and has authored more that 150 articles that have appeared in international scientific and medical magazines. He has received numerous awards and distinctions from around the world. He has been practicing pediatric medicine since 1944 and continues as professor of pediatrics and as a practicing pediatrician today.
• The Honorable Marc Lalonde of Canada is an attorney who served as Minister of Health and Welfare. In 1972 he published proposals for a major reform of the Canadian social security system. In 1974 he published "New Perspectives on the Health of Canadians," a document that became known as "The Lalonde Report." The report was internationally acclaimed for its radical departure from traditional policies and its advocacy of health promotion by developing a blueprint for a prevention-oriented national medical system. He also served as Minister Responsible for the Status of Women and launched legislative reforms culminating in the publication, "Towards Equality of Women."
• Dr. Edgar Mohs of Costa Rica is a former Vice Minister and Minister of Health for Costa Rica and General Director of the National Hospital for Children. Dr. Mohs in the 1970s worked on a government program aimed at eradicating extreme poverty by focusing on reforms in the health and education as a means to increasing productivity. He was part of the Directing Council of the National Council of Scientific Investigations and Technology. For the past 10 years, Dr. Mohs has served on three expert committees of the World Health Organization and is a consultant to PAHO and UNICEF on Respiratory Infections and the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses strategy.
• Dr. Elsa Moreno of Argentina, a world-renowned expert in the area of Maternal and Child Health. She has served as National Director of Maternal and Child Health in Argentina and as a distinguished professor in the School of Public Health and the National University and Secretary of Public Health for the Argentinean Ministry of Health and Social Action. From 1976-1989, she was Adviser to and Director of the Maternal and Child Health Program of the Pan American Health Organization. Dr. Moreno has published 140 articles and papers and 10 books in the areas of maternal and child health, clinics, public health, and research of health services. Since 1993, she has been a Professor in the Department of Public Health on the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Tucumán.
• Dr. Zilda Arns Newmann of Brazil is a pediatrician, public health worker and founder and director of the Pastoral da Crianca, the organ for social action of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil.This program is one of the largest in the world devoted to child health and nutrition.The Pastoral da Crianca has reduced infant mortality by more than half in the over 31,000 urban and rural communities in which they work - those of intense poverty. The program has 145,000 volunteers, of which 90% are women living below the poverty level. The program was nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.
• Dr. Ruth Puffer of the United States is a biostatistician and public health professional. She began her career in public health as Director of Statistical Services in the Department of Public Health for the state of Tennessee. Between 1953-1970, Dr. Puffer served as Chief of the Department of Health Statistics of the Pan American Health Organization, where she was the prime mover behind the Inter-American Investigation of Childhood Mortality that PAHO. During that period she conducted two important research studies: Patterns of Urban Mortality (1967) and Patterns of Morality in Childhood (1973). Today, both studies are still considered path-breaking classics of scientific literature and have had an undeniable impact on health services throughout the hemisphere.
• Sir Kenneth Livingston Standard of Barbados is the founding president of the Caribbean Public Health Association. He is known for his work in maternal and child health, child nutrition, community involvement in public health, and medical education. He has greatly influenced public health by exploring alternatives in the delivery of health care within the constraints of limited resources by using community health aides (auxiliaries) as members of the health team. Founding president of the Caribbean Public Health Association, he has had a long career in medicine, public health and research.

Washington, D.C.: OPS, © 2010
ISBN: 978-92-75-13088-9
This publication has been created as a guide for clinicians and health administrators in LAC Region countries, in both the formal health sector as well as within specialized MSM health clinics. It is intended to strengthen the ability of health care providers to address the distinct health needs of gay men and other MSM within the context of health promotion and health care delivery.

Blueprint for the Provision of Comprehensive Care to Gay Men and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Latin America and the Caribbean [pdf 2.47 MB]

Proyecto para la Provisión de Atención Integral a los hombres gay y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (HSH) en América Latina y el Caribe [pdf 945 kb]

Blueprint for the Provision of Comprehensive Care to Gay Men and Other Men Who Have sex with Men (MSM) in Latin America and the Caribbean (2010)

Summary of a Regional Consultation on Health Promotion and the Provision of Care to Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Latin America and the Caribbean (2009)

Challenges Posed by the HIV Epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean 2009 (2009) (Spanish)

Health Care of Transvestite and Transsexual People (2008)

Behavioral Surveillance Survey in High Risk Drug Users (2008) (Spanish)

Infecciones de Transmision Sanguinea o Sexual Entre las Personas que se Inyectan Drogas y sus Parejas en las Americas (2004)

Welcome to the meeting page for the 2009 CARMEN Biennial Meeting, Taking Stock of Progress and Advancing the Implementation of the Chronic Disease Regional Strategy within the CARMEN Network (26-29 October 2009, Lima, Peru)

CARMEN is an initiative of PAHO, its Member States, and partner organizations to improve the health of peoples in the Americas by preventing and controlling chronic diseases and their associated risk factors. This is achieved through the development, implementation, and evaluation of public policies, social mobilization, health promotion, surveillance and integrated disease management. The CARMEN network helps implement the Regional Strategy and Plan of Action for an Integrated Approach to the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases, including Diet and Physical Activity. Major meetings of the network take place every two years.

Click below for all conference documentation: objectives and expected results, agenda and list of participants, presentations, working group reports, and the final report.

 Youth: Choices and Change (23.78 MB)

Order code: SP-E 594
ISBN: 92 75 11594 X
Year Published: 2005
Pages: 392
Author: Pan American Health Organization

WHO Global Plan of Action on Workers' Health

Photocredit: MC Lavoie

Objectives:

1.To devise and implement policy instruments on workers' health

2.To protect and promote health at the workplace

3.To improve performance and access to occupational health services

4.To provide and communicate evidence for action and practice

5.To incorporate workers' health into other policies 

 

 

The Plan encourages an inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach between WHO member states to partner with workers and employers to formulate policies that protect and promote workers’ health. 

 

PAHO Regional Plan of Action on Workers’ Health

Similar to the Global Plan of Action on Workers’ Health, the objective of the Regional Plan is to encourage member states to take action on physical, biological, chemical and psychosocial factors, as well as organizational factors and dangerous production processes that adversely affect workers’ health in both the formal and informal sectors. 

 Photocredit: NIOSH

The priorities of the Regional Plan include:

1.Strengthening the countries’ capabilities to anticipate, identify, evaluate and control or eliminate risks and dangers in the workplace;

2.Promoting the update of workers’ health legislation and regulations, and the establishment of programs designed to improve the quality of the work environment;

3.Fostering programs for health promotion and disease prevention in occupational health and encouraging better health services for the working population.

The purpose of this document is to offer readers a strategic proposal developed by experts from the Region. This proposal seeks to make a significant contribution to the efforts already under way in several locations to optimize health care, including sexual and reproductive health promotion and care with a gender perspective that explicitly approaches HIV and other STIs as problems requiring immediate attention. The proposal not only stresses the importance of collaboration among programs, services, providers, and community members to better tackle the challenges posed by these issues but proposes actions that can lead to a better quality of life for the individual, the family, and the community.

English [pdf 9.5 MB]
Spanish [pdf 10 MB]

 Washington, 20 January 2008. Education, prevention, treatment and testing are essential tools to combat HIV in the USA and elsewhere in the Americas, Dr. Cristina Beato said today during a keynote speech to the National Latino/Hispanic AIDS Leadership Summit gathered in Washington, D.C.

Novedades

• Política de la OPS sobre investigación para la salud (Abreviada)
• Está disponible en texto completo el Informe de la Reunión de Seguimiento a la 1a Conferencia Latinoamericana en Investigación para la Salud. La Habana, Cuba, 2009.
• Nueva oportunidad de pasantia en comunicaciones.

[Más "Novedades"...]

Nuestro programa se centra en el fortalecimiento de la investigación para la salud mediante la difusión y traducción del conocimiento, la promoción de `gobernanza` de investigación y la vigilancia de la ética y los estándares dentro de las prácticas de investigación. Nuestro portal de investigación reúne la información de la región en estas áreas de interés.

Esta página:  http://www.paho.org/Portalinvestigacion 

Enlace corto: http://bit.ly/OPS_Investigacion

Washington, D.C.: OPS, © 2010
ISBN: 978-92-75-13088-9
This publication has been created as a guide for clinicians and health administrators in LAC Region countries, in both the formal health sector as well as within specialized MSM health clinics. It is intended to strengthen the ability of health care providers to address the distinct health needs of gay men and other MSM within the context of health promotion and health care delivery.

Blueprint for the Provision of Comprehensive Care to Gay Men and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Latin America and the Caribbean [pdf 2.47 MB]

Proyecto para la Provisión de Atención Integral a los hombres gay y otros hombres que tienen sexo con hombres (HSH) en América Latina y el Caribe [pdf 945 kb]

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Colgate-Palmolive Company signed an agreement today to work together to promote oral health in Latin America and the Caribbean. The new partnership will support PAHO's Caries Free Communities Initiative (CFCI), a community-based program.

Quibdó, Colombia, March 6, 2008 (PAHO)—A group of rural health promoters traveled 14 hours by boat this week to receive the 2007 Clarence H. Moore Award for Voluntary Service for their service to indigenous and ethnic communities in Chocó, Colombia.

 RIMSA Meetings: RIMSA 15 (2008) | RIMSA 14 (2005) | RIMSA 13 (2003) | RIMSA 12 (2001)

RIMSA stands for Inter-American Meeting in Health and Agriculture at Ministerial Level. It is the only regional forum for collaboration and coordination among the health and agricultural sectors, at the highest political level. PAHO counts on this meeting to development technical cooperation in the area of Veterinary Public Health. This page provides an overview of RIMSA and its documentation.

Chronic diseases are the major cause of death in all the countries of the Americas. This strategy was created to deal with this new epidemic: It Strategy is comprehensive, requiring a combination of interventions for the population and individuals. It is integrated, spanning prevention and control strategies focusing on the major chronic diseases and cross-cutting risk factors (especially diet, physical activity, tobacco, and alcohol). Finally, it is intersectoral, because most of the major determinants of the chronic-disease burden lie outside the health sector. This page offers an executive summary and access to the full text in PAHO publication format, as well as related initiatives.

English  | español  | français  | português

Latest issue:  May-June 2010

Contents

• World No Tobacco Day 31 May
  • Restrictions Urged on Cigarette-Makers’ Efforts to Lure Women into Smoking Addiction
• World Hypertension Day 17 May
  • PAHO Launches Translation of Hypertension Guidelines
• UN Tackles Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases
• Trilingual Report on Implementation of International Breast Cancer Guidelines
• Komen Global Health Alliance Launched
• Progress in the Countries
  • US Capital Adopts Healthy Schools Act
  • Paraguay Launches National Chronic Disease Plan
  • Costa Rica Launches New Nutritional Guidelines
  • Mexico Launches National CNCD Council
  • MERCOSUR Meeting on CNCD Surveillance
• Press Links

More information, subscription, rules for contributors, archives, etc. appear below.

Washington, D.C. January 29, 2008. [PAHO Release].—
Education, prevention, treatment and testing are essential tools to combat HIV in the USA and elsewhere in the Americas, ((PAHO) Deputy Director, Dr. Cristina Beato said today during a keynote speech to the National Latino/Hispanic AIDS Leadership Summit gathered in Washington, D.C.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation are inviting participants to the First Hispano-American and Inter-American Contest of Best Practices in Urbanization and Health, open to municipal governments, social groups, NGOs and private organizations. The best experiences will be recognized on April 7th, during the World Health Day celebration.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Colgate-Palmolive Company signed an agreement today to work together to promote oral health in Latin America and the Caribbean. The new partnership will support PAHO's Caries Free Communities Initiative (CFCI), a community-based program. 

● Online Pandemic Influenza Risk Communication Articles 
  Risk Communication Experts, Peter Sandman and Jody Lanard 
  English   

● Creating a Communication Strategy for Pandemic Influenza 
  Risk and Outbreak Communication, Pan American Health Organization 
  English   Spanish  

● FAQ Sheet: Influenza A(H1N1) 
  World Health Organization 
  English   Spanish 

● Brochure: Informal discussion on behavioral interventions for an influenza pandemic. 
  World Health Organization and UNICEF 
  English 

● Campaign: "Clean Care is Safer Care"  
  World Health Organization 
  English 

● Poster, Influenza A(H1N1): "How to Protect Yourself and Others" 
  World Health Organization 
  English   French 

● Poster, Influenza A(H1N1): "Prevent the Flu from Spreading" 
  Ministry of Health, Singapore 
  English  

● H1N1 Pandemic Communication Update
  The Peter Sandman Risk Communication Website 
  English 

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua: The Central America Diabetes Initiative (CAMDI)—now producing results—came about a response to a subregional workshop that took place in San Salvador in March 2000, sponsored by the Diabetes Declaration of the Americas (DOTA) and PAHO. A baseline screening for diabetes will identify people currently suffering from the disease (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) to assess the current level of diabetes care. Furthermore, a demonstration project of a diabetes intervention program is proposed for each participating communities. A multinational expert committee will decide on the specific intervention program to be developed.

Paramaribo, Suriname – On the occasion of the Vaccination Week, PAHO Director, Dr. Mirta Roses will travel to Albina for the launch of the Vaccination Week activities in Suriname. She will be accompanied by PAHO Suriname representative, Dr. Gerry Eijkemans. A full week of activities is planned, vaccination activities involving the family as a whole and special high risk occupational group. The Medical Mission and the Regional Health Services have also planned local vaccination and health education activities for risk groups, in their respective areas.

The 2010 Awards for Excellence in Inter-American Public Health—a joint program of the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) and PAHO—are accepting online nominations. These awards are intended to stimulate the growth of the next generation of leaders working to improve health and health care in the Americas.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, a worker is injured on the job every 36 minutes, and as many as 80 million workers suffer injuries or illness due to exposure to occupational risks every year, experts said today at a panel discussion on World Day for Safety and Health at Work, held at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, D.C.

Ronaldo Assis de Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho Gaucho, is a world-renowned Brazilian soccer player. He has played for teams including Paris Saint German (France), Barcelona (Spain) and, since 2008, Inter-Milan, helping it qualify for the 2009-2010 Italian Champion League. In the process he has become one of the most important soccer players of this decade.

PAHO and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH/CDC) will celebrate the 2010 World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 22 April with a panel discussion on "My Work, My Health: Healthy Workplaces in the Americas." The winners of the "My Work, My Health" photo contest will also be announced at the event.

This paper identifies, reviews, and examines legislation in English-speaking Caribbean countries and territories applicable to the prevention and control of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases and the need to enact further legislation to prevent chronic noncommunicable diseases. It also acknowledges the role played by PAHO and CARICOM in their efforts and commitment to fight these diseases. (Washington, DC, June 2010)

The Sixth World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, which will take place on November 17-19, 2010 in Washington, D.C., is accepting abstracts to be considered for the program sessions. The submission of abstracts may be made online, and the deadline is 30 April 2010.

After the launching of the Vaccination Activities in St Laurent and Albina, PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses visited the Ministry of Health, accompanied by Dr. Gerry Eijkemans, PAHO/WHO representative in Suriname. Dr. Roses met with Dr. Leslie Resida, Director of the Bureau of Public Health, and gave a press conference presenting Vaccination Week in the Americas and addressing the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

 Building Better Health. A Handbook of Behavioral Change.
Order code: SP-E 590
ISBN: 92 75 11590 7
Year Published: 2003
Pages: 378
Author: C. David Jenkins

PAHO's area of Technology, Health Care and Research-Essential Medicines and Biologicals (THR/EM) is working actively in promoting innovation for the health in the Region. The improvement of the access to essential medicines, biological and diagnostics is one of PAHO’s critical functions. To better achieve this goal, THR/EM is developing a Regional Platform for Access and Innovation for the Health.

In order to confront the challenges of the 21st century and the new paradigm for sustainable development, human security and environmental health, the Area of Sustainable Development and Environmental Health (SDE) was established within the structure of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Through a holistic and integrated vision of the relationship between health and disease, SDE works to strengthen public policies, institutions, and social mobilization for the improvement of the quality of life of the population in the Region of the Americas and the Caribbean.

Comprehensive integrated care, self-care, patient support and education, training for healthcare workers to improve the quality of care: This team works to facilitate and support the strengthening of the capacity and competencies of the health system for the integrated management of chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs) and their risk factors. These functions are among the core elements of the CARMEN Network and the Regional Strategy for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control. The team follows the Chronic Care Model, as described below. Also click below for a list of relevant documentation and resolutions.

May 15, 2009 - Thirty countries have officially reported cases of influenza A(H1N1). The World Health Organization maintains pandemic alert of Phase 5. There is no evidence of sustained community level human-to-human transmission outside of the Americas. PAHO/WHO recommends that countries continue to review their national influenza pandemic preparedness plans and address any gaps identified.

Radio Broadcasts for Community Health

This page contains nine radio spots (in Spanish) designed to educate people on how they can play a role in dengue prevention and control, namely by preventing mosquitoes from reproducing in household and community environments. Topics are:

• Potential Breeding Sites for the Dengue Mosquito
• Water and Breeding Sites for Dengue
• Water Storage and Dengue
• Water and Health
• Dengue and Water
• Dengue and All Souls' Day
• Flowers and Cemeteries
• All Souls' Day
• Dengue and Flowers

This fact sheet describes the mission and areas of work of the PAHO dengue team, part of the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Project, as well as its main strategy, initiatives, and networks. Its main focus is on an integrated, intersectoral approach to dengue prevention and control, one that also mobilizes community participation—a vital component. The team has recently intensified its efforts, given the recent upsurge in dengue cases due to climate change and other factors. This includes missions to affected areas and setting up situation rooms to deal with emergency outbreaks. See details below.

Most Frequently Read Items

• Latest dengue outbreak news: PAHO Epidemiological Alerts, posted on the PAHO homepage.
• Latest update on number of dengue cases by country and subregion of the Americas:
   2009: Number of Reported Cases of Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), Region of the Americas.

Workshop on caries prevention for communities in the Region of the Americas

Developed by Bonnie Bruerd, DrPH and Mary Beth Kinney, EdD, MPH in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Indian Health Service, Division of Oral Health and the Pan American Health Organization and the Gorgas Institute.

Special acknowledgement of appreciation to Joanna M. Douglass, BDS,DDS for permission to use Fluoride Varnish Application video, and to First5 Oral Health for permission to use photographs.

The PAHO's Regional Program on Oral Health brings unique experience in providing technical assistance to countries in implementing feasible, low-cost oral health interventions.  

• Introduction
• Regional Data and Directories

Updates:

• PAHO Regional Core Health Indicator Update 
• 2009 DMFT Indicators
• PAHO/WHO Mandates
• PAHO in Publications
• Oral Health Meetings and Reports
• Caries Free Communities Initiative

The CARMEN Pan American network is PAHO's main vehicle for action in the area of integrated prevention and control of chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs) throughout the Americas.

CARMEN was formed as a result of the awareness among PAHO Member Countries that the CNCD epidemic accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total number of deaths in the Americas—and that, to a large extent, these diseases are dependent on risk factors and lifestyles amenable to modification, and are thus preventable. It is cross-cutting and intersectoral and aimed at an integrated, comprehensive approach. This page tells about CARMEN and its goals, with links to its newsletters, documentation, and country reports.

American Public Health Association

Global Health Council 

United Nations Association

{mospagebreak title=American Public Health Association} 

"One of the most well-known, a result of changes in the usual patterns of temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, etc., occurs in the distribution of diseases, as well as vectors, which generally are insects.

Washington, D.C., April 25, 2008.-

Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. March 15, 2008.- We need to target the causes and risk factors for violence and traffic injuries. Director's Speech at the inauguration ceremony at the 9th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion.

 "This is above all a day of commitment. Today I renew my oath to devote myself tirelessly, day by day, hour by hour, to keeping PAHO at the forefront of the response to the regional and global challenges in public health and, particularly, to serve as an instrument for bringing good health to the most neglected, vulnerable, marginalized, and excluded populations."  

Health services in Latin America and the Caribbean need to increase funding, improve access, and eliminate discrimination against homosexual men and other men who have sex with men, if they are to effectively address the health needs of this unique population, said public health experts, government authorities, and representatives of civil society gathered in Panama this week.

Argentina will host the first "World Fair of Health and Municipalities: Law, Citizenship and Integrated Local Management for Development", which will run from August 18 to 21 in Costa Salguero, Buenos Aires. Authorities and experts from many countries will participate in the event, organized by Argentina's Ministry of Health with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

A year after top health and education officials from Latin America and the Caribbean joined together to endorse comprehensive, evidenced-based sex education as a pillar of HIV prevention, supporters point to progress in promoting this approach.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today marked its 107th  anniversary by formally swearing in two of the Organization's top three leaders. Dr. Jon Kim Andrus, a U.S. citizen, and Dr. Socorro Gross-Galiano, of Costa Rica, were officially installed as Deputy Director and Assistant Director, respectively.

Nominations are being accepted online through 15 June 2010 for the 2010 Awards for Excellence in Inter-American Public Health. These awards honor professionals who led the way in advancing health conditions in the Americas and are intended to stimulate the growth of the next and rising generation of leaders.

• Hechos y mitos sobre la seguridad de la vacuna contra la influenza pandémica (H1N1) 2009 (only in Spanish)
• Documento en PDF  
• H1N1 Flu Vaccination Materials from Countries in the Americas
  English   Spanish 
• Risk Communication and Social Mobilization in Support of Vaccination against Pandemic Influenza in the Americas
  The objective of this document is to offer guidelines for the creation of plans and strategies, and for the design of risk communication and social mobilization activities, in support of pandemic influenza vaccination.
  English   Spanish 
• Putting Planning into Practice: The Communication Response to H1N1
  Final Meeting Report, Presentations and More 
  English   Spanish 
• Today's H1N1 News
  English   Spanish
• FAQ: Influenza A(H1N1)
  World Health Organization
  English   Spanish
• 2009 H1N1 Flu Vaccination Materials
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  English   Spanish

Resource Web sites by Member Countries

• Argentina
  Pan American Health Organization Regional Office  
  Spanish  
• Brazil, Ministry of Health  
  Resource Web site (Portuguese)  
• Canada  
  Public Health Agency of Canada     
  English   French 

           Ontario's Ministry of Health 
           English   French 

• Colombia  
  Ministry of Health  
  Spanish     
  Cauca's Departmental Secretary of Health      
  Spanish  
• Chile, Ministry of Health  
  Spanish     
• Costa Rica, Newspaper La Nación  
  Spanish  
  
• El Salvador, Ministry of Health  
  Spanish   
• Mexico, Secretary of Health  
  Spanish  
  
• Nicaragua, Ministry of Health  
  Spanish  
• Peru
  Pan American Health Organization Regional Office 
  Spanish    
      
  Ministry of Health  
  Spanish  
• Singapore
  Ministry of Health (English)
  Resource Web site  
  Facebook Group  
  YouTube Video

           Ministry of Information
           Resource Web site

• United Kingdom, Department of Health  
  English  
• United States of America  
  PandemicFlu.gov  
  Department of Health and Human Services  
  English   Spanish  
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  
  English   Spanish  
  U.S. National Library of Medicine  
  National Institutes of Health  
  English   

To celebrate Global Handwashing Day, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is inviting schoolchildren from all the countries of the Americas to establish a Guinness World Record for the number of students who wash their hands with soap and water at noon on 15 October 2009.

There are five main types of organizations that have expressed interest in the Partners' Forum to fight Chronic Disease and promote healthy lifestyles:

• Academic & Scientific
• Business
• Civil Society
• Government
• International Organizations

PROMÁS es una iniciativa del Foro para Centroamérica y República Dominicana sobre Agua Potable y Saneamiento (FOCARD-APS), a petición de la Comisión de Ministros de Salud (COMISCA) del Sistema de Integración para Centroamérica (SICA). Desde su inicio en 2006, PROMÁS realiza labores de abogacía, conformación de alianzas, movilización de recursos, apoyo técnico, capacitación y desarrollo de herramientas para mejorar el acceso a agua segura, y promover el lavado de manos y saneamiento básico de manera sostenible.  Leer más.

Promoting Health in Schools While Having Fun!

The Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization, in collaboration with a long list of partners, is inviting the schools in the Americas to establish a World Guinness Record of the number of students washing their hands with soap and water at noon on Thursday, October 15, 2009. 

The second Global Handwashing Day will take place on Thursday, October 15, 2009. Global Handwashing Day will be the centerpiece of a week of activities that will mobilize millions of people throughout the globe to wash their hands with soap and water.

The Caries Free Communities Initiative (CFCI) is an eight year plan that represents a widely sustained effort to combat the great burden of caries throughout the Americas. The principal goal of the strategy is to reduce the burden of oral disease by the year 2015 by reducing the number of infections and increasing the coverage of services in the most vulnerable populations in the ‘Region of the Americas’. Vulnerable populations are identified as low socio-economic groups such as marginalized and geographically isolated populations, women, children, and people infected with AIDS.

Latin American and Caribbean Reports:

• Belize, Velize 20 - 22 April, 2010 (649.66 kB)
• Colombia, Política Publica de Salud Oral del Municipio de Ibagué, Alcaldia de Ibagué, Secretaria de Salud Municipal (13.46 MB) (In Spanish)
• Ibarra, Ecuador 27 - 29, January, 2010 (In Spanish)
• Saint Kitts & Nevis 2 - 4 December, 2009
• Panama, Panama , 28-30 June 2009 (10.02 MB) (In Spanish)
• Mexico, D.F., Mexico 23-25 April, 2009   

PAHO activities:

• Workshop “Train the trainer”
• Are you interested in participating in CFCI?     

Links:

• FDI Global Caries Initiative

PAHO-CDC Collaboration in Cancer: Supporting PAHO's 7-Point Plan of Action for Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, Including Strengthening Cancer Registries

Report of Meeting between PAHO, CDC, and Selected Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Countries (Atlanta, GA, USA, 29-30 April 2009)

Representatives from country cervical cancer program managers and cancer registry personnel from four countries (Barbados, Bolivia, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago) met with staff from PAHO and staff from several divisions within CDC: Cancer, STDs, Immunization, HPV laboratory. The purpose was to discuss collaborative activities to support countries with their cervical cancer programs and cancer registries.

La directora de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS), Mirta Roses, pidió "no recortar el gasto social en salud en tiempos de crisis", durante la conferencia Municipios, Salud y Gestión integrada: una oportunidad para el fortalecimiento del ejercicio de los derechos ciudadanos, que brindó en el marco de la Feria Mundial de Municipios y Salud, que se desarrolla hasta el viernes en Costa Salguero, Buenos Aires.

The Workers’ Health program is involved in several projects and activities in the Region to improve working conditions and environments that are outlined in our 2008-2012 Strategic Plan. 

Our Collaborating Centers and partners play a critical role in providing knowledge, resources, and technical cooperation for these projects and activities, which are aligned with country priorities and the global and regional plans of action on workers’ health. Please see each project and activity for complete descriptions, publications, tools, and collaborators.

Durante su visita a Perú,  la directora de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS), la doctora Mirta Roses Periago, participó en reuniones con las autoridades regionales y locales de Loreto, en donde se analizaron los avances del Proyecto Belén y se realizó un diálogo con integrantes de la Red por Belén y representantes de la región amazónica.

 "This is above all a day of commitment. Today I renew my oath to devote myself tirelessly, day by day, hour by hour, to keeping PAHO at the forefront of the response to the regional and global challenges in public health and, particularly, to serve as an instrument for bringing good health to the most neglected, vulnerable, marginalized, and excluded populations."