Technical Unit News

Montevideo, 18/03/2019‒ In 2018, Pereira Rossell’s Women’s Hospital in Montevideo did not record any maternal deaths. Collected data also reveal a decrease in number of premature births and adolescent pregnancy and low percentage of caesarean sections according to the national average. All this information has been collected through the…
Many Birth Defects, one voice was the title of the webinar held on 12th March to commemorate the World Birth Defects Day. The bilingual meeting organized by the Latin American Center of Perinatology, Women and Reproductive Health (CLAP/WR) gathered more than 100 people, including representatives of Ministries of Health of the Region and…
Birth defects account for up to 21% of deaths in children aged under 5 in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The Zika virus epidemic highlighted the importance of strengthening surveillance and timely response to congenital defects as a regional priority. This requires the participation of all actors, including policy makers, health care…
Global decrease but cases remain high, causing 200 000 stillbirths and newborn deaths every year 27 February 2019: New estimates published today show that there were more than half a million (around 661,000) total cases of congenital syphilis in 2016, resulting in over 200,000 stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Syphilis is one of the most common…
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a mosquito-transmitted disease caused by parasitic worms that damage the lymphatic system, leading to chronic disabling consequences such as lymphoedema, hydrocele and elephantiasis. The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) established by WHO aims to stop the spread of infection and alleviate…
There is a wide variety of situations in terms of family planning and the type of contraceptive methods used among these countries, a disparity that reflects inequities that have a major impact on the most vulnerable people. This conclusion is drawn from an open-access article in the next issue of Lancet. The research published in Lancet…
Today, after almost three decades doing midwifery, Odette Thieophile works at Primary Health Care Services, where 220 babies are born per year. This midwife who chose her profession by vocation feels a strong commitment with women's health and remembers that the most important is a safe delivery and healthy mother and baby. Due to this interest…
The Agreement of Santiago de Cuba charts the course to move the movement forward Mayors from around the Americas renewed their commitment to revitalize the Healthy Municipalities, Cities and Communities (HMCC) Movement in Santiago de Cuba the first week of November as part of the Second Meeting of Mayors of Healthy Municipalities of the Region of…
A dynamic movement for Health Promotion is taking place across the Region of the Americas. Over the past months, Ministries of Health in over 30 countries and territories across the Region have convened meetings with intersectoral actors, community members and civil society to spark critical dialogue on the role of Health Promotion within the…