The Global Matrix of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents in Latin America: trends, successes and challenges in practice and surveillance

Objective

To synthesize the grades of physical activity (PA) indicators for children and adolescents (5–17 years) in Latin American countries; explore the social determinants of health (SDoH) for PA indicators; and identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to improve PA levels.

Health system and hospital utilization in Chile, 1952–2020: trends, reforms, and inflection points

Objective

To collect and analyze longitudinal data on hospital discharges in Chile between 1952 and 2020, both at the national level and within the public subsystem. Patterns of change were identified in relation to the following key institutional milestones: the Curative Medicine Act of 1968, the creation of the National Health Services System in 1979, and the implementation of the Universal and Guaranteed Access Reform in 2005.

Trans fatty acids in nutrition labeling and ingredient listing of prepackaged products in Costa Rica, 2022

Objective

To analyze the content of industrially produced trans fatty acids stated in the nutrition labeling and ingredients list of prepackaged products marketed in Costa Rica.

Methods

Descriptive, cross-sectional study analyzing the presence and content of industrially produced trans fatty acids stated in the nutritional labeling and ingredients list of 7,402 prepackaged foods in two supermarket chains in Costa Rica. The analysis was based on the current policy of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on this subject.

Digital transformation of mortality reporting using an ICD-11 integrated death certificate system in Suriname

The Ministry of Health of Suriname has replaced the outdated 1958 paper-based death certificate with an adapted digital version based on the World Health Organization international form of Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, integrated with the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) coding tool. This digital system, which comprises a mobile application and a web-based platform, enables direct selection of diagnoses using the ICD-11 codes, including post-coordination (code combinations) and the use of extension codes.

World hepatitis day

The mission of the Pan American Journal of Public Health is to serve as an important vehicle for disseminating scientific public health information relevant to the Region of the Americas. The journal aims to strengthen national and local health systems and to bridge the gap between health care and policy-makers, ultimately improving the health of the peoples of the Americas.

Excess mortality associated with extreme heat in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2023

Objective

To determine the excess mortality associated with the November 2023 extreme heat wave in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with temperatures reaching 42°C.

Methods

Using the excess heat factor (EHF) to characterize the heat wave, this study identified elevated excess mortality across various disease categories, including symptoms and abnormal clinical findings, nervous system disorders, mental health conditions, and genitourinary diseases, diverging from typical heat-related mortality patterns.

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