Institution
Pan American Health Organization
Healthcare•Havana, Cuba•
About: Pan American Health Organization is a healthcare organization based out in Havana, Cuba. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 1500 authors who have published 2263 publications receiving 83705 citations. The organization is also known as: HO Regional Office for the Americas.
Topics: Population, Public health, Health care, Latin Americans, Vaccination
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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TL;DR: In relation to the Cuban experience in 1980-2010, there is an association at the population level between weight reduction and death from diabetes and cardiovascular disease; the opposite effect on the Diabetes and cardiovascular burden was seen on population-wide weight gain.
Abstract: Objective To evaluate the associations between population-wide loss and gain in weight with diabetes prevalence, incidence, and mortality, as well as cardiovascular and cancer mortality trends, in Cuba over a 30 year interval. Design Repeated cross sectional surveys and ecological comparison of secular trends. Setting Cuba and the province of Cienfuegos, from 1980 to 2010. Participants Measurements in Cienfuegos included a representative sample of 1657, 1351, 1667, and 1492 adults in 1991, 1995, 2001, and 2010, respectively. National surveys included a representative sample of 14 304, 22 851, and 8031 participants in 1995, 2001, and 2010, respectively. Main outcome measures Changes in smoking, daily energy intake, physical activity, and body weight were tracked from 1980 to 2010 using national and regional surveys. Data for diabetes prevalence and incidence were obtained from national population based registries. Mortality trends were modelled using national vital statistics. Results Rapid declines in diabetes and heart disease accompanied an average population-wide loss of 5.5 kg in weight, driven by an economic crisis in the mid-1990s. A rebound in population weight followed in 1995 (33.5% prevalence of overweight and obesity) and exceeded pre-crisis levels by 2010 (52.9% prevalence). The population-wide increase in weight was immediately followed by a 116% increase in diabetes prevalence and 140% increase in diabetes incidence. Six years into the weight rebound phase, diabetes mortality increased by 49% (from 9.3 deaths per 10 000 people in 2002 to 13.9 deaths per 10 000 people in 2010). A deceleration in the rate of decline in mortality from coronary heart disease was also observed. Conclusions In relation to the Cuban experience in 1980-2010, there is an association at the population level between weight reduction and death from diabetes and cardiovascular disease; the opposite effect on the diabetes and cardiovascular burden was seen on population-wide weight gain.
145 citations
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Laboratory of Molecular Biology1, University of Los Andes2, National University of Salta3, Pontifical Xavierian University4, Carlos III Health Institute5, Central University of Venezuela6, National Autonomous University of Mexico7, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte8, Australian National Drag Racing Association9, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention10, Cayetano Heredia University11, University of Chile12, Universidad Nacional de Asunción13, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative14, Pan American Health Organization15
TL;DR: An international study to assess the performance of duplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) strategies on the basis of TaqMan probes for detection and quantification of parasitic loads in peripheral blood samples from Chagas disease patients revealed a high concordance in terms of sensitivity and parasitic loads determined by both SatDNA and kDNA qPCRs.
144 citations
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TL;DR: Neighborhood food stores have the potential to provide healthy food choices, reinforce health messages, increase the population reached by nutritional interventions, and work with local residents to facilitate healthier dietary choices.
Abstract: Obesity and other diet-related chronic disease affect low-income ethnic minority populations at high rates. Formative research was used to develop a food store–based intervention for low-income African Americans in Baltimore City. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods were used, including in-depth interviews with food store owners (n = 19) and low-income residents (n = 17), food source assessment (n = 11 census tracts), a consumer survey (n = 50), and direct observations (n = 6). Healthy food options were poorly available in low-income census tracts, with no fresh fruits and vegetables sold in 6 census tracts. Local consumers purchase less healthy options and prepare foods in ways that add fat. Corner stores are a common food source, but store owners expressed reservations about stocking healthier food options, citing low consumer demand for healthier products. Residents were unhappy with the limited range of healthy food options available but tended to see obesity as the result o...
143 citations
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TL;DR: The sensitivity and specificity of the Pan-E Dengue Early ELISA and the Platelia™ Dengue NS1 Ag assays were compared against a reference diagnosis in 1385 patients in 6 countries in Asia and the Americas as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Background
Early diagnosis of dengue can assist patient triage and management and prevent unnecessary treatments and interventions. Commercially available assays that detect the dengue virus protein NS1 in the plasma/serum of patients offers the possibility of early and rapid diagnosis.
Methodology/Principal Findings
The sensitivity and specificity of the Pan-E Dengue Early ELISA and the Platelia™ Dengue NS1 Ag assays were compared against a reference diagnosis in 1385 patients in 6 countries in Asia and the Americas. Platelia was more sensitive (66%) than Pan-E (52%) in confirmed dengue cases. Sensitivity varied by geographic region, with both assays generally being more sensitive in patients from SE Asia than the Americas. Both kits were more sensitive for specimens collected within the first few days of illness onset relative to later time points. Pan-E and Platelia were both 100% specific in febrile patients without evidence of acute dengue. In patients with other confirmed diagnoses and healthy blood donors, Platelia was more specific (100%) than Pan-E (90%). For Platelia, when either the NS1 test or the IgM test on the acute sample was positive, the sensitivity versus the reference result was 82% in samples collected in the first four days of fever. NS1 sensitivity was not associated to disease severity (DF or DHF) in the Platelia test, whereas a trend for higher sensitivity in DHF cases was seen in the Pan-E test (however combined with lower overall sensitivity).
Conclusions/Significance
Collectively, this multi-country study suggests that the best performing NS1 assay (Platelia) had moderate sensitivity (median 64%, range 34–76%) and high specificity (100%) for the diagnosis of dengue. The poor sensitivity of the evaluated assays in some geographical regions suggests further assessments are needed. The combination of NS1 and IgM detection in samples collected in the first few days of fever increased the overall dengue diagnostic sensitivity.
142 citations
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TL;DR: Emergency response should not add to the distress of affected communities by inappropriately disposing of the victims, and mass fatality management following natural disasters needs to be informed by further field research and supported by a network of regional and international forensic institutes and agencies.
Abstract: Background Following natural disasters, mismanagement of the dead has consequences for the psychological well-being of survivors. However, no technical guidelines currently exist for managing mass fatalities following large natural disasters. Existing methods of mass fatality management are not directly transferable as they are designed for transport accidents and acts of terrorism. Furthermore, no information is currently available about post-disaster management of the dead following previous large natural disasters.
142 citations
Authors
Showing all 1503 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
Marcello Tonelli | 128 | 701 | 115576 |
Stephen L. Hoffman | 104 | 458 | 38597 |
Peter Singer | 94 | 702 | 37128 |
James C. Anthony | 94 | 401 | 43875 |
Bruce G. Link | 92 | 307 | 45777 |
Andrew E. Skodol | 88 | 252 | 24975 |
Marie T. Ruel | 77 | 300 | 22862 |
Franco M. Muggia | 64 | 393 | 18587 |
María G. Guzmán | 63 | 272 | 15992 |
Rob McConnell | 63 | 250 | 17973 |
José M. Belizán | 53 | 198 | 11892 |
Agustin Conde-Agudelo | 52 | 87 | 12009 |
Denise L. Doolan | 49 | 199 | 10581 |
Brendan Flannery | 48 | 177 | 8004 |
Martha Sedegah | 45 | 120 | 9304 |