Welcome to the gateway to publications related to the Americas’ most pressing public health issues. We strive to continually improve our ability to fulfill your information needs.
Challenges in access to health for migrants transiting the Darien region
The Darien region, a vast jungle territory between Colombia and Panama, has seen a continued increase in migration. During 2023, each country recorded more than 500,000 people passing through the Darien region. In the first months of 2024, records indicated an increase in migratory flows. This surge is putting pressure on health services on both sides of the border, creating new challenges for local and national authorities.
Published by ECLAC and Íæż½ã½ã, this publication highlights the critical need to strengthen health systems in Latin America and the Caribbean to address inequality and achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The COVID-19 pandemic has caused setbacks in 32% of regional SDG targets, affecting essential health indicators such as maternal mortality, immunization, malnutrition, and mental health.
Leading causes of death and disease burden in the Americas: Noncommunicable diseases and external causes
This report presents an in-depth analysis on life expectancy and mortality in the Americas, exploring the burden of disease throughout the life course. It focuses on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), encompassing mental and substance use disorders, neurological conditions, and external causes during the period 2000–2019.
This publication utilizes the most recent data to provide a detailed analysis of the current state of universal health in the Region of the Americas. It focuses on three key indicators, unmet healthcare needs, coverage of essential health services, and financial protection, and identifies key policy implications and recommendations for future action.
This publication advocates for a unified government approach to strategic communication, collaborating with nongovernmental partners to ensure consistent messaging between national and local health authorities. It emphasizes creating content guides and protocols for delivering unified public information during health emergencies caused by arboviral diseases.
This publication aims to support health workers, managers, and policymakers in the collection and use of health administrative data on intimate partner and nonpartner sexual violence. It includes information sheets that introduce and explain the importance of collecting health administrative data for cases of intimate partner violence and sexual violence and proposes a form for collecting these data and instructions for their correct use.
This document provides a guide for estimation of health expenditure ahead of time to ensure timeliness of reporting. If necessary, nowcasting can also be used to make up for lags in reporting of data used to generate health accounts. What accounting options are available for such forecasting? What procedures are recommended as standard to ensure timeliness in the results of this process?
This publication presents the key advances made by countries participating in the Initiative for the Elimination of Trachoma in the Americas. In the Region, trachoma remains endemic in Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Peru, affecting abut 5.6 million people, especially in rural and remote areas, with a disproportionate impact on women and children.
This publication provides Member States with a comprehensive framework to address HTLV-1 MTCT as a public health problem. It outlines evidence-based interventions, such as awareness campaigns, testing strategies, education, and interventions designed to reduce transmission risks.
This guide is intended to act as a tool to foster the replication of the activities included in the joint Íæż½ã½ã/WHO–IOM Program on Applying the Human Security Approach to Advance an Integrated Response to Health and Migration in the Northern Triangle and Mexico, funded through UNTFHS.
Íæż½ã½ã proposes a framework for action to improve access to malaria diagnosis and treatment based on expanded access to diagnosis, including expanded use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), and immediate comprehensive treatment.
For over 120 years, the Íæż½ã½ã (Íæż½ã½ã) has been at the forefront of public health in the Americas. As health challenges continue to evolve, Íæż½ã½ã remains committed to addressing key priorities that impact the well-being of populations across the Region.
The Organization’s priority areas of work reflect its ongoing efforts to improve health outcomes, build resilient health systems, and achieve health equity and universal health coverage throughout the Americas.