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Abstract Background Infection prevention and control (IPC) programs are essential to prevent and control the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms in healthcare facilities (HCFs). The current implementation of these programs in Latin America remains largely unknown. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of IPC program implementation in HCFs from Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, and Argentina, March-July 2022. We used the World Health Organization (WHO) IPC Assessment Framework (IPCAF) survey, a previously validated structured questionnaire with an associated scoring system that evaluates the eight core components of IPC (IPC program; IPC guidelines; IPC education and training; healthcare-associated infection [HAI] surveillance; multimodal strategies; monitoring and audit of IPC practices and feedback; workload, staffing, and bed occupancy; and the built environment and materials and equipment for IPC). Each section generates a score 0–100. According to the final score, the HCF IPC program implementation is categorized into four levels: inadequate (0–200), basic (201–400), intermediate (401–600), or advanced (601–800). Additionally, we conducted semi-structured interviews among IPC personnel and microbiologists using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model to evaluate barriers and facilitators for IPC program implementation. We performed directed content analysis of interview transcripts to identify themes that focused on barriers and facilitators of IPC program implementation which are summarized descriptively. Results Thirty-seven HCFs (15 for-profit and 22 non-profit) completed the IPCAF survey. The overall median score was 614 (IQR 569, 693) which corresponded to an “advanced” level of IPC implementation (32% [7/22] non-profit vs. 93% [14/15] for-profit HCFs in this category). The lowest scores were in workload, staffing and bed occupancy followed by IPC training and multimodal strategies. Forty individuals from 16 HCFs were interviewed. They perceived inadequate staffing and technical resources, limited leadership support, and cultural determinants as major barriers to effective IPC guideline implementation, while external accreditation and technical support from public health authorities were perceived as facilitators. Conclusions Efforts to strengthen IPC activities in Latin American HCFs should focus on improving support from hospital leadership and public health authorities to ensure better resource allocation, promoting safety culture, and improving training in quality improvement.

In the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’s (NPT) context, irreversibility has been accepted as a critical principle of multilateral nuclear disarmament. Debates within the expert community and during the NPT Review Process, however, recognise the need to better understand the concept and its role in achieving and sustaining a world free of nuclear weapons. Therefore, the principle of irreversibility is still unclear, and the scope of its content is subject to competing interpretations. This paper deals with the concept of irreversibility in the context of nuclear disarmament from an interdisciplinary approach considering its technical, legal, and political aspects. It explicitly explores Latin American views of such a universal concept. The research relies on analyses of relevant information from Latin American experts and compares it with other sources. Focusing on a regional approach and its specificity could help identify ways that local perceptions can effectively feed into the global debate.

La Conquête et l’esclavage des Africains sont des traumatismes originels qui forment le substrat des cultures et des mémoires des pays de l’Amérique latine. La violence d’État à la période contemporaine reflète les inégalités structurelles et les dominations sociales qui en procèdent.The Conquest and the enslavement of Africans are the original traumas that form the substratum of the cultures and memories of the countries of Latin America; State violence in the contemporary period reflects the structural inequalities and social dominations that result from them.

Abstract Background Adaptation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) often occurs when implemented in new local contexts and settings. It is unclear, however, during which phase of implementation adaptations are most frequently made and how these changes may impact the fidelity, effectiveness, and sustainability of the EBI. Pediatric Early Warning Systems (PEWS) are EBIs for early identification of deterioration in hospitalized children with cancer. This study evaluates adaptations of PEWS made among resource-variable pediatric oncology hospitals in Latin America implementing and sustaining PEWS. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among pediatric oncology centers participating in Proyecto Escala de Valoración de Alerta Temprana (EVAT), a collaborative to implement PEWS. Adaptations to PEWS were assessed via 3 multiple choice and 1 free text question administered as part of a larger study of PEWS sustainability. Descriptive statistics quantitatively described what, when, and why adaptations were made. Qualitative analysis of free text responses applied the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications Expanded (FRAME) to describe respondent perspectives on PEWS adaptations. Results We analyzed 2,094 responses from 58 pediatric oncology centers across 19 countries in Latin America. Participants were predominantly female (82.5%), consisting of nurses (57.4%) and physicians (38.2%) who were PEWS implementation leaders (22.1%) or clinical staff (69.1%). Respondents described multiple PEWS adaptations across all implementation phases, with most occurring during the planning and piloting of EBIs. Adaptations included changes to PEWS content (algorithm, scoring tool, terminology, and use frequency) and context (personnel delivering or population). Respondents felt adaptations streamlined monitoring, enhanced effectiveness, improved workflow, increased comprehension, and addressed local resource limitations. Qualitative analysis indicated that most adaptations were categorized as fidelity consistent and planned; fidelity inconsistent adaptations were unplanned responses to unanticipated challenges. Conclusion Adaptations made to PEWS across implementation phases demonstrate how EBIs are adapted to fit dynamic, real-world clinical settings. This research advances implementation science by highlighting EBI adaptation as a potential strategy to promote widespread implementation and sustainability in hospitals of all resource levels.

Abstract Background Increasing vaccination coverage was key to curbing the COVID-19 pandemic globally. However, lack of trust in the vaccine and fear of side effects in regions like the Caribbean resulted in a low uptake despite enough vaccine supply. Methods We conducted two correlational analyses and one experiment between five sequential behaviorally informed Facebook campaigns, social media performance outcomes, and district-level vaccination data. First, we ran multivariate linear regression models to estimate the mean differences between the campaigns in (i) social media performance (“Clicks” and “Engagement”) and (ii) COVID-19 vaccination uptake at the district level. “Clicks” were measured by the number of people who clicked on the respective Facebook advert and visited the official vaccination site. “Engagements” were the number of people interacting with the advert through likes and emojis. Second, we took advantage of the experimental design during one of the campaigns to analyze the differential effect of messages conveying information about the number of people reporting vaccination side effects using words (“Few”/ “Majority) and numbers (“3 out of 100 “) on social media performance. Results The correlational analysis showed that the number of “Clicks” and “Engagement” was similar among campaigns, except for the campaign focusing on vaccines’ effectiveness, which had 14.65 less clicks and 19.52 less engagements per advert (including controls and district-fixed effects) compared to the base “It’s safe” campaign. Vaccination rates were highest at times coinciding with campaigns focusing on vaccination safety and effectiveness. Our experimental results showed that informational messages related to side effects that were framed using words (“Majority did not report discomfort”/ “Few persons reported discomfort”) were better at generating “Clicks” compared to those using numbers (“3 out of 100 reported discomforts”). Conclusions Facebook adverts highlighting vaccine safety had a similar level of social media performance as other campaigns, except for adverts focusing on vaccine efficacy, which performed worse. Communicating side-effect information with words instead of numbers can expand social media interest in low-uptake regions like the Caribbean. Our results serve as preliminary evidence for public health officials to encourage vaccine uptake in high-hesitancy contexts.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has spread through pre-existing fault lines in societies, deepening structural barriers faced by precarious workers, low-income populations, and racialized communities in lower income sub-city units. Many studies have quantified the magnitude of inequalities in COVID-19 distribution within cities, but few have taken an international comparative approach to draw inferences on the ways urban epidemics are shaped by social determinants of health. Methods Guided by critical epidemiology, this study quantifies sub-city unit-level COVID-19 inequalities across eight of the largest metropolitan areas of Latin America and Canada. Leveraging new open-data sources, we use concentration indices to quantify income- and vulnerability-related inequalities in incidence, test positivity, and deaths over the first 125 weeks of the pandemic between January 2020 and May 2022. Results Our findings demonstrate that incidence, deaths, and test positivity are all less concentrated in low-income sub-city units than would be expected, with incidence ranging concentration in lower income neighbourhoods in Toronto (CI = -0.07) to concentration in higher income neighbourhoods in Mexico City (CI = 0.33). Drawing on relevant studies and evaluations of data reliability, we conclude that the best available public surveillance data for the largest cities in Latin America are likely not reliable measures of the true COVID-19 disease burden. We also identify recurring trends in the evolution of inequalities across most cities, concluding that higher income sub-city units were frequent early epicentres of COVID-19 transmission across the Latin America and Canada. Conclusions Just as critical epidemiology points to individuals biologically embodying the material and social conditions in which we live, it may be just as useful to think of cities reifying their material and social inequities in the form of sub-city unit-level infectious disease inequities. By shifting away from a typical vulnerability-based social determinants of health frame, policymakers could act to redress and reduce externalities stemming from sub-city unit-level income inequality through redistributive and equity-promoting policies to shift the centre of gravity of urban health inequalities before the next infectious disease epidemic occurs.

Abstract Introduction Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common and potentially lethal disease. Approximately 10–20% of the patients progress to necrotizing pancreatitis (NP). The step-up approach is the gold standard approach to managing an infected necrotizing pancreatitis with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. Video-assisted retroperitoneal debridement (VARD) has been described as a safe and feasible approach with high success rates. Multiple studies in the American, European, and Asian populations evaluating the outcomes of VARD have been published; nevertheless, outcomes in the Latin American population are unknown. This study aims to describe a single-center experience of VARD for necrotizing pancreatitis in Colombia with a long-term follow-up. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted between 2016 and 2024. All patients over 18 years old who underwent VARD for necrotizing pancreatitis were included. Demographic, clinical variables, and postoperative outcomes at 30-day follow-up were described. Results A total of 12 patients were included. The mean age was 55.9 years old (SD 13.73). The median follow-up was 365 days (P25 60; P75 547). Bile origin was the most frequent cause of pancreatitis in 90.1% of the patients. The mean time between diagnosis and surgical management was 78.5 days (SD 22.93). The mean size of the collection was 10.5 cm (SD 3.51). There was no evidence of intraoperative complications. The mean in-hospital length of stay was 65.18 days (SD 26.46). One patient died in a 30-day follow-up. One patient presented an incisional hernia one year after surgery, and there was no evidence of endocrine insufficiency at the follow-up. Conclusion According to our data, the VARD procedure presents similar outcomes to those reported in the literature; a standardized procedure following the STEP-UP procedure minimizes the requirement of postoperative drainages. Long-term follow-up should be performed to rule out pancreatic insufficiency.

Purpose – The main goal of this paper is to examine the evolution of Latin American productive integration in terms of the regional value added incorporated in intra-regional exports of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. In addition, the study traces the trade and productive integration trajectories for each of these countries from 1995 to 2015. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the use of OECD’s global ICIO input-output tables, this paper applies the methodological framework by Wang et al. (2018) for the analysis of trade flows at the bilateral level, which allows breaking down the value of gross exports of each sector-country, depending on the origin of the value added contained in exports, as well as their use. Findings – The estimates show very low shares of value added from regional partners in the intra-regional exports of the countries studied. Conversely, the weight of the value added incorporated in these exports by countries outside the region has increased in tandem with China’s expanding involvement in Latin America. This development, along with the downward trend in domestic value added incorporated in exports, indicates a lack of a regional integration process of any depth. Originality/value – This article addresses an economic problem of conventional importance from a global value chain perspective using a novel methodology based on the use of global input–output tables.

This article offers a comprehensive examination of perspectives on university-industry interactions in Latin America. Distinguishing itself from international reviews, the study employs a systematic review of 274 articles across Scopus, Scielo, and Dialnet databases. The research addresses the temporal evolution, disciplinary fields, conceptual approaches, methods, and prevailing topics in the region. Findings reveal a focus on management, economics, business, social sciences, and engineering disciplines. Qualitative methods dominate, while theoretical-conceptual approaches encompass meso-institutional and micro-interactional levels. Key research themes include collaboration results, knowledge transfer, innovation, technological transfer, and collaboration barriers.

Objective. To determine the prevalence and causes of vision loss and calculate the effective cataract surgery coverage (eCSC) in adults aged 60 years and older in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020. Methods. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness Vision Atlas and the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness databases were used as data source. The collected data were used to estimate the prevalence and causes of vision loss in people aged 60 years and older, and to determine the eCSC. Results. The overall prevalence of moderate to severe vision impairment (MSVI) and blindness in Latin America and the Caribbean were 14.14% and 2.94%, respectively. Tropical Latin America was the subregion with the highest prevalence of blindness (3.89%) while Southern Latin America had the lowest (0.96%). For both MSVI and blindness, cataract was the main cause of vision loss. The eCSC rates showed great variation, ranging from 4.0% in Guatemala to 75.2% in Suriname. Conclusions. The prevalence of vision loss in adults aged 60 years and older in Latin America and the Caribbean was higher than previous estimates on younger groups. Cataract was the main cause of blindness, and the eCSC indicates that the outcomes from cataract surgery should be improved. Specific actions associated with improving access, integrating eye assessment with primary care programs, expanding the use of telemedicine, and improving data quality should be taken by public health authorities aiming to address vision loss in this group.

Abstract Heatwaves (HWs) pose a severe threat to human and ecological systems. Here we assess the projected changes in heatwaves over Latin America using bias corrected high-resolution regional climate simulations under two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCPs). Heatwaves are projected to be more frequent, long-lasting, and intense in the mid-century under both RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, with severe increases under the RCP8.5 scenario. Even under the low emissions scenario of RCP2.6, the frequency of heatwaves doubles over most of the region. A three- to tenfold rise in population exposure to heatwave days is projected over Central and South America, with climate change playing a dominant role in driving these changes. Results show that following the low emission pathway would reduce 57% and 50% of heatwave exposure for Central and South American regions respectively, highlighting the need to control anthropogenic emissions and implement sustainable practices.

Purpose: To summarize the results of Chile's 2022 Report Card (RC) on physical activity (PA) for Children and Adolescents. Methods: Chile's 2022 RC included ten core PA indicators common to the Global Matrix 4.0. Evidence from scientific articles, reports, and databases published between 2018 and January 2022 was included for each indicator. The data were collected and analyzed by a national scientific committee, which assigned letter grades (A to F) using a consensus based on benchmarks defined and revised by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance. Results: The committee assigned the following grades: Overall PA, D−; Organized Sports and Physical Activity Participation, C−; Active Play, Incomplete; Active Transportation, D; Sedentary Behavior, D−; Physical Fitness, Incomplete; Family and Peers, D; School, C; Community and Environment, D+; Government, A−. Conclusions: Chile's 2022 RC, like its previous versions, shows persistently low grades for most indicators. Overall PA remained nearly unchanged, while Community and Environment scored lower. Slight improvements were seen in Organized Sports, Family and Peers, and School Environment. While Chile has endeavored to increase children's activity levels, policies require implementation through a systemic, coherent framework to promote sustainable changes and reach a larger portion of children and youth.

The synchronic analysis of the contemporary cultural life in the Latin American communicative community shows that the art of embroidery, traditionally transmitted from generation to generation mainly by women, undergoes significant changes in terms of values. Embroidery has come to be perceived not as an applied art but as one of the fine arts as it has evolved from a simple decorative process toward the transmission of meanings, emotions, and ideas through methods of working with fabrics and threads specific to a particular nation. Since the second half of the 20th century, the «intimate» art of embroidery has become collective. It has spread beyond people’s homes to be practiced in garment workshops, hence fostering a space of communication between artisans and allowing them to work together, in unison. The public space created around embroidery gradually goes beyond workshops and begins to embrace broader sectors, encouraging numerous dialogues, namely those between seamstresses and authorities, between artisans from different workshops, from different towns, cities and countries. By exposing injustice and the denial of human rights embroidery has become an international instrument of social and political struggle. The authors of this study examine embroidery within the framework of Latin American artivism and define it as a traditional form of protest art in the region. The diachronic analysis of Latin American embroidery of the past century is instrumental in shedding new light on certain events of regional history. Thus, embroidery has become an invaluable encyclopedia of people’s heroism in their struggle against inequality and oppression.

Introduction: Hydatidosis/cystic echinococcosis (CE) is considered a neglected disease due to its preventive nature and impact on low-income populations. In Latin America, there is a high incidence, and in the high Andean regions, it is considered an endemic disease. The objective of this study was to quantify and analyze the scientific production of hydatidosis/echinococcosis through a bibliometric analysis in Latin America up to 2022. Methods: A bibliometric analysis study was conducted based on the scientific production of CE in the SCOPUS database until 2022 in Latin American countries. Information was collected through a systematic search. Frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the variables captured in the final database. Results: Scientific production showed growth over the years, with Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile having the highest production. In addition, there has been a trending use of the term “neglected disease” since 2018. The most cited articles were primarily narrative reviews, book chapters, and original articles in that order. Only 27% of the studies were funded by an institution in Latin America. Conclusion: Scientific production in Latin America regarding CE is on the rise, especially in countries with high incidence rates. Furthermore, these countries demonstrate a significant network of international collaboration.

Abstract Purpose Prostate cancer is the most common cause for cancer mortality among men in Colombia. Law 100, in 1993, created a contributory regime (private insurance) and subsidized regime (public insurance) in which the subsidized regime had fewer benefits. However, Ruling T760 in July 2012 mandated that both systems must offer equal quality and access to healthcare. This study examines the impact of this change on prostate cancer mortality rates before and after 2012. Methodology Prostate cancer mortality records from 2006 to 2020 were collected from Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE). Crude mortality was calculated by health insurance for different geographic areas and analyzed for changes between 2006 and 2012 and 2013–2020. Join-Point regressions were used to analyze trends by health insurance. Results Crude mortality rates in the contributory regime had a non-statistically significant decrease from 2006 to 2012 (AAPC= -1.32%, P = 0.14, 95% CI= -3.12, 0.52). In contrast, between 2013 and 2020 there was a non-statistically significant increase in crude mortality (AAPC 1.10%, P = 0.07, 95% CI= -0.09, 2.31). Comparatively, crude mortality in the subsidized regime, from 2006 to 2012, increased with a statistically significant AAPC of 2.51% (P

The aim of this paper is to interpret the political discourse employed in the process of integrating foreign nationals into Spain’s Armed Forces (2002-2017) and collate it with a wide range of primary sources. The sources include statistics from the Spanish Ministry of Defence, legislation, opinion polls conducted by the public research institute the Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) and data series from Spain’s official statistics agency (INE). The study takes a constructivist approach that seeks to uncover the implicit elements underlying the discourses of public policies, ideas and ideological concepts. It offers a view that is complemented by a historical reconstruction of the facts and an institutional analysis that combines formal elements (laws, policies and opinion polls) with informal components (non-codified practices or ideas and shared meanings).

This article reviews Ruy Mauro Marini's political and intellec-tual career up to the publication of Dialectics of Dependence, linking the evolution of his thought to the historical move-ment to which he belonged. The main objective is to present the author's main theoretical contributions, examining them in the light of the current historical period. The categories put forward by Marini, especially in Dialectics of Dependence, retain a unique explanatory force for the study of Latin American social realities today. Unequal exchange and over-exploitation of the workforce, as categorical abstractions from the concrete reality of Latin America, must be taken up and updated in accordance with the configurations of current dependent capitalism. These contributions are one of the pillars of what the Brazilian and Latin American bibliography has come to call the Marxist Theory of Dependency - as opposed to the Weberian or associated strand of Dependency Theory.

This article examines the development of drug trafficking and organized crime in Latin America, from the pre-colonial peri-od to the legislative measures of the 20th century. The study is grounded in ethnobotanical data on the distribution of psy-choactive plants among the continent's peoples before the on-set of European colonization. It posits that colonial interven-tions not only facilitated the spread of plants containing nar-cotic substances but also laid the groundwork for the emer-gence of international drug trafficking, including its intercon-nection with global socio-economic transformations. Under-standing the historical context is crucial for analyzing con-temporary issues of international crime and drug trafficking, as well as for developing effective resolution strategies. Thus, the article contributes to the theoretical foundation of interna-tional relations and global politics, expanding our compre-hension of the influence of historical processes on contempo-rary global challenges.

Abstract Many of the energy systems functioning across the developing world are poorly designed and largely inadequate to meet a country's commercial and domestic energy needs. This is especially so in Latin America, where poverty trends have been exacerbated by limited access to energy, which could be used towards supporting industrial and small-scale commercial activities. This has characterised the widespread trend of energy poverty. This phenomenon poses a major barrier towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing climate change, since lack of access to reliable energy generation systems hinders the development of economic activities and limits the comfort of living conditions. This paper reports on a study aimed at catering to a better understanding of the challenges related to energy poverty in Latin America and identifying some of the tools that may be deployed to address them. The methodological procedures used were bibliometric analysis and survey. The main findings of this research evidence that reducing energy poverty in Latin American countries is crucial to alleviating household costs since a considerable part of family income is used to pay the energy needs. Less use of coal, greater access to electricity—including those from renewable generation—as well as the use of technologies and programs subsidized by governments would significantly contribute to increasing the Latin American citizens' quality of life and achieving the SDGs.

Objectives. To summarize available data on unit costs for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, prevention, and care interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Methods. We conducted a systematic literature review of costing studies published between 2012 and 2024, and selected those reporting empirically measured costing data. The available data were categorized according to predefined intervention categories and compared by time and place. We also explored variations in unit costs by intervention type. Results. Of 1 746 studies identified, 22 met the inclusion criteria, which provided 103 unique unit cost estimates from nine countries. About 50% of the included studies were published between 2019 and 2021. Antiretroviral therapy services had the most cost data available (39% of unit costs), followed by inpatient care (27%) and HIV testing (24%). Considerable cost variations were observed both within and between interventions. Conclusions. Our analysis underscores the need for accurate and reliable cost data to support HIV budgeting and decision-making efforts. We identified several gaps in the availability of cost data and emphasize the importance of presenting results more effectively by incorporating key contextual variables. Given the challenges of shrinking budgets and sustainability risks, robust evidence is indispensable to inform priority setting and budget allocation for HIV services.

Urban morphogenesis in informal settlements results from occupation, transformation, and morphological extension processes that cause territorial fragmentation, producing inequality and spatial segregation, which are the main characteristics of Latin American informal urbanism. However, there is scarce research on analysing the processes that cause fragmentation. The research develops a morphological analysis that aims to improve the processes of urban assemblage by identifying the dynamics of territorialisation and deterritorialisation promoted by political and social factors, capable of producing spatial discontinuity in the informal morphogenic evolution. As a method, a diachronic analysis is developed by mapping the morphological evolution of the processes of occupation, transformation and extension of networks between 2002 and 2021 on three models of informal settlements in Lima, Mexico City, Medellin and Santiago de Chile for a comparison of cases. As a result, corrective mechanisms called “interface devices” (ID) are obtained, which include the improvement of land management policies and the implementation of gradual interventions according to informal evolution, decreasing urban fragmentation in different phases of territorial evolution and the possibility of being applied in international contexts of the global south.

This interview presents Professor István Szilágyi’s life and the major events in his career. It includes, among other things, the early school and university years, as well as all those by whom his career has been shaped. The semi-structured interview discusses his research activities, his travels and his advice for the younger generation of geographers. Professor István Szilágyi is a retired professor at the University of Pécs and the former Dean of the Faculty of Modern Philology and Social Sciences at Pannon University. He is a renowned researcher in the theory of international relations, geopolitics and political changes in Latin America and the Hispanic world. The Professor has not only published more than hundreds of papers and book chapters in Hungarian, English, German, Russian, Portuguese and Spanish, but also, he is the author of seventeen monographs. Throughout his career, he has developed significant foreign contacts in Latin America and Europe. As a guest professor, he has visited Valladolid, Paris, Cluj-Napoca, Cadiz, Valencia, La Laguna and Dijon, among others. He has also carried out research in Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Russia and Cuba.

Marxian anthropology is a particular trend of “dark anthropology.” Michael Taussig has dedicated his work to understanding the connections of colonialism, capitalism, and local cultures under a Marxian-Benjaminian perspective. This article examines the meanings of hope and future concealed within Taussig’s “dark ethnographies” accomplished in Latin America. The purpose of this analysis is to echo Taussig’s concern to write efficiently against terror to acknowledge that even ethnographies of violence and social injustice can carry powerful cultural messages of hope.

ABSTRACTLatin American nations are highly urbanised around a small number of megacities that account for the majority of these nations’ productivity and population. Scholars of urban planning and economics argue these cities may be overly large, leading to environmental, transportation and housing issues that depress growth and increase economic inequality. We use fine-grained satellite data from 1992–2018 to document urban concentration in Latin America. We argue political decentralisation creates incentives to distribute urban populations more evenly throughout the territory. Our results demonstrate a strong empirical relationship between political decentralisation and lower urban concentration. We link our findings to literature on economic geography, political institutions and urbanisation, with broader implications for the politics of economic growth.

Latin American universities have a strong tradition in discourse studies. Beginning in the sixties, local discourse analysis approaches introduced a critical turn that started in linguistics and semiotics and crossed social sciences establishing a new critical perspective. Ecolinguistics and environmental studies, on the other hand, present a different case. As a theoretical approach, ecolinguistics has found a hard time establishing itself as an autonomous discipline in the universities of the region, struggling with the tradition built by discourse studies. This article aims to analyse the development of Critical Discourse Studies (CDS) and ecolinguistics in Latin America to present a possible explanation of the difficulties ecolinguists have found in the region to introduce their scope in formal academic institutions and why critical discourse analysis (CDA) have remained far from the eco-perspectives in South America. We argue that Latin American CDA still maintains a Eurocentric vision while environmental perspectives remain loyal to the anthropocentrism and industrial fatalism posed by the dominant discourses. We believe that if issues approached keep an anthropocentric perspective while theoretical frames present a Eurocentric thinking, ecolinguistics, along with critical animal studies (CAS) and gender studies, may present an alternative to human-nonhuman-nature relations.

This article provides a comparative analysis of the schools or “peasant universities” of the Latin American Coordination of Rural Organizations (CLOC) and La Via Campesina (LVC) in Latin America and the Caribbean, and of the Peasant Movement of Papaye (MPP) in Haiti, with emphasis on the Latin American Agroecological Institutes (IALA), which exist to offer agroecological, political and organizational training especially to peasant, indigenous and Afro-descendant youth in the region. The objective is to systematize and compare the training programs of the CLOC/VC schools and the MPP school, to extract useful lessons that can support the advancement of both, as well as provide important elements for the promotion of agroecology and social transformation in the region, in order to better understand the educational practices and pedagogical approaches used in different contexts. And also, to explore in depth, the structure, functioning, impact and current challenges of the CLOC/VC schools in the region. It highlights the importance of these institutions in the training of women, men and young peasant leaders, and in the promotion of agroecology and food sovereignty in the region. The study includes a literature review, a detailed analysis of the schools in different countries, with interviews with members of the coordinations, and focuses on the organizational structure, educational programs and social impact. Differences in infrastructure and resources, and similarities in pedagogical approaches are revealed. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for strengthening peasant education and the massification and territorialization of peasant agroecology, and strategies are proposed to improve the quality and sustainability of the schools. The importance of supporting CLOC/VC and MPP schools to ensure their impact on rural communities in the region is emphasized.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of severe respiratory disease in older adults. Understanding the disease burden is crucial for guiding vaccination policy and raising disease awareness. We estimated the burden of RSV hospitalizations and deaths in adults in five middle-income countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Malaysia. Hospital discharge and death statistics due to any respiratory disease (ICD-10 codes: J00–99) from 2010 to 2022 were obtained. The RSV attributable burden on hospitalizations and deaths by age group was determined for 2019 using previously published estimates. Latin American countries showed distinct annual peaks in respiratory-related hospitalizations and deaths during winter months that were absent in Malaysia. Among ≥20-year-olds in 2019, there were 14,604 RSV-attributable hospitalizations nationally in Argentina, 44,323 in Brazil, 4529 in Chile, 7416 in Malaysia, and 8651 in Mexico, and 60–74% in ≥65-year-olds. There were also 3518 RSV-attributable deaths in Argentina, 9115 in Brazil, 801 in Chile, 704 in Malaysia, and 3806 in Mexico 79–88% in ≥65-year-olds. Incidences of RSV-attributable hospitalizations in ≥75-year-olds ranged between 256.3 and 294.3 per 100,000 population, and deaths between 33.6 and 112.9 per 100,000 population. RSV is associated with a substantial disease burden beyond pediatric age groups, and preventive vaccines could have a major impact on this burden, especially in older adults.

Objectives. This paper describes and analyzes embedded implementation research and the empirical processes of planning for utilization, strategies to promote utilization and the sustainability of utilization of results from research led by decision-makers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Methods. This qualitative, descriptive and interpretive study is based on the findings from semistructured interviews with members of teams working under the Embedding Research for the Sustainable Development Goals initiative (2018–2019) as well as their responses to a self-assessment follow-up questionnaire 1 year after the project was completed. Results. Altogether 13 teams from 11 countries participated in the Initiative. Nine teams had a core team composed of a decision-maker as the principal investigator assisted by a researcher as co-principal investigator. Four teams included more than one co-principal investigator; and in five teams, the originally assigned principal investigator was replaced. There was an interesting relationship between the expected utilization of research results, the utilization strategies, the sustainability of research uptake and the teams’ collaboration modalities. When decision-makers and co-principal investigators were active participants, the intention to use the results and strategies for utilization were clearly oriented to improve implementation. In teams with basically a formal collaboration between the two principals, plans for utilization were unclear or focused on producing academic knowledge. The participation of implementers below the rank of principal investigator decision-maker may be relevant. Conclusions. Embedded implementation research is an innovative tool that may foster the utilization of research and strengthen health programs and services. Considering the internal dynamics of such research teams will enhance planning and strategies for research utilization as well as the sustainability of practical and actionable findings.

Abstract Most Latin American countries entered the ranks of middle-income levels almost simultaneously with Japan and South Korea. However, while Japan and South Korea embarked on the path of economic development through technological innovation and industrial upgrading, Latin America fell into the middle-income trap. By examining the history of industrial and technological development in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, three representative countries in Latin America, this paper finds that the fundamental reasons for Latin America falling into the middle-income trap lie in the tension between the choice of industrialization path and primitive accumulation, as well as the institutional deficiencies in technology and industrial development. Latin America, which has fallen into the middle-income trap, finds it hard to upgrade its technology and is trapped in premature industrialization and the middle-technology trap. It can be said that Latin America has fallen into a double trap, which reinforces each other and forms a solid trap pattern. The warning from the Latin American experience is that late-developing countries need to maintain an open attitude during the process of technological catching up, build a complete technological innovation system, enhance industrial and technological governance capabilities, and seize the window of opportunity for technological and industrial upgrading. Otherwise, there is a significant risk of falling into the middle-income trap and even the double trap.

Abstract Understanding health-seeking behaviors and their drivers is key for governments to manage health policies. A growing body of research explores the role of cognitive biases and heuristics in health and care-seeking behaviors, but little is known about how a context of heightened anxiety and uncertainty might influence these behavioral drivers. This study analyzes the association between four behavioral predictors—internal locus of control, impatience, optimism bias, and aspirations—and healthcare decisions among low-income women in El Salvador, controlling for other factors. We find positive associations between internal locus of control and preventive health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, a one standard deviation increase in locus of control is associated with a 10% increase in an index measuring the use of masks, distancing, hand washing, and vaccination. Locus of control was also associated with women’s use of preventive health services (one standard deviation improves the likelihood of having a hypertension test in the last six months by 5.8 percentage points). In a sub-sample of mothers, we find significant relationships between the four behavioral drivers and the decisions the mothers make for their children. However, we find these associations are less robust compared to the decisions they make for themselves. Some associations were stronger during the pandemic, suggesting that feelings of uncertainty and stress could amplify behavioral drivers’ influence on health-related behaviors. This novel finding is relevant for designing policy responses for future shocks. JEL Codes I12, D10, D91, I30.

ABSTRACT: Introduction/Objective: Despite the abundance of studies on earnings management in Latin America, research into the current state of this field remains limited. Therefore, this article aims to analyse the content and evolution of earnings management research within the Latin American context. Methodology: This study employed a systematic literature review of earnings management in Latin America spanning the years 1994 to 2023. Two databases, Scopus and Web of Science, were utilised to identify and select 132 relevant articles. Results: The study makes three significant contributions. Firstly, it conducts a descriptive analysis of earnings management research in the region. Secondly, it categorises the research field into seven themes: earnings management metrics, corporate governance, business strategy, alignment with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), audit quality, ownership structure, and various aspects of earnings management. Thirdly, it outlines a comprehensive research agenda. Conclusions: This study underscores that earnings management in Latin America remains a fertile area for research. Furthermore, it suggests new avenues for empirical and theoretical exploration. RESUMEN: Introducción/Objetivo: Aunque existen numerosos estudios sobre la gestión de ganancias en América Latina, la investigación sobre el estado actual de este campo sigue siendo escasa. Por tanto, este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la evolución y el contenido de la investigación sobre la gestión de ganancias en el contexto de América Latina. Metodología: El método elegido fue una revisión sistemática de la literatura sobre la gestión de resultados en América Latina, cubriendo los años 1994 y 2023. Se utilizaron dos bases de datos (Scopus y Web of Science) en este estudio para la identificación y selección de 132 artículos. Resultados: Este artículo presenta tres contribuciones. La primera contribución es realizar un análisis descriptivo de la investigación sobre la gestión de resultados en la región. La segunda contribución es la identificación de siete categorías por medio de las cuales se está investigando la gestión de resultados en América Latina: métricas de gestión de ganancias, gobernanza corporativa, estrategia empresarial, convergencia con las Normas Internacionales de Información Financiera (NIIF), calidad de la auditoría, estructura de propiedad y varios estudios sobre la gestión de ganancias. La tercera contribución es presentar una agenda de investigación. Conclusiones: Una conclusión importante de este estudio es que la gestión de resultados en América Latina sigue siendo un campo fértil de investigación en esta región. Además, el estudio arroja luz sobre nuevas direcciones de investigación empírica y teórica.

This study examines the relationship between social mobility and hidalguía (noble status) in Castile and America over five centuries, focusing on a specific family of peninsular hidalgo individuals, the Villafañe y Guzmán family, who exerted significant influence in the provinces of La Rioja and Córdoba (Argentina) through their kinship ties. The distribution of resources, power, and opportunities has been instrumental in determining the social status and opportunities available to individuals and groups. The study confirms that the limited social mobility in colonial society and the advantages of accessing certain activities may explain the enduring nature of socioeconomic inequality in Latin America.

The article discusses the history of forming China and Mexico trade and economic cooperation and its current situation. Against the background of the analysis of the bilateral relations historical aspect, the current state of trade and economic relations has been studied and a number of problems have been identified. China’s high economic growth rates, the need for new markets and sources of raw materials are pushing this country to explore and develop the market of the Latin American region. Mexico, due to its geographical proximity to the United States, is of particular interest to China. The relevance of the article is due to the peculiarities of the current moment in the global situation and the active development of Chinese-Latin American relations.

Objectives. To evaluate the structure and operation of national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs) in Latin America and the Caribbean and to make recommendations for improvement. Methods. A convenience sample of six current and eight former NITAG members representing 12 countries in the region were invited in 2022 to answer a web-based questionnaire on NITAG structure, organization, and procedures. The questionnaire used indicators similar to those in the Joint Reporting Form on Immunization. Participants were also asked about the role their NITAGs played in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) immunization policies. Results. Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) reported not having an active NITAG. The nine active NITAGs are structured and organized according to World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization recommendations, with variations between countries. Most NITAGs include representatives of the five recommended medical specialties with the participation of additional members possible. Only Bolivia (Plurinational State of) and Mexico have no explicit policy for managing members' potential conflicts of interest. All NITAGs have an exclusively technical advisory role and generally meet once a quarter. Usually, NITAGs are asked by health ministries to analyze issues and make recommendations. All NITAGs, except for Perus, actively participated in supporting decision-making for immunization policy on COVID-19. Conclusions. NITAGs have successfully supported vaccine policy-making through evidence-based recommendations. However, improvement in their structure, operation, and transparency is needed to help them keep up with the rapidly evolving field of immunization. Research on the impact of NITAGs is important to support the development of recommendations for improvement.

The essay analyzes the adjustment of the ideas of classical liberalism in Latin America in the nineteenth century. Within a historiographical, hermeneutical, and analytical methodology of some cases that exemplify political and economic ideas, a general conclusion has been reached: the ideas of classical liberalism became a superficial mask that concealed democratic systems and flimsy capitalists. On the political side, specific benefits to the Catholic Church were hidden under the mask; however, in specific periods, some examples, even with liberal denominations, show that the persecution of clerics was also hidden or underestimated. On the economic side, the benefits of free markets will not be seen until the second half of the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution caused Europe and the United States to increase their demand for raw materials

The introduction to the dossier provides an analytical framework for studying digital platforms for paid domestic work in Latin America and presents the contributions of the various articles included within this framework. The analytical proposal distinguishes three main dimensions. First, it discusses the methodological challenges of studying digital work platforms in this sector, along with the strategies commonly used to overcome these challenges. Second, it proposes criteria to classify the differences among work platforms, given their heterogeneity. Finally, it examines the impact of these platforms on the working conditions of domestic workers and the inequalities they face. To this end, it suggests several aspects that could be studied to help define lines of research on the effects of digital intermediation in a sector historically marked by precariousness

Domestic and care work is a largely feminized sector marked by high levels of informality, low wages, and precarious working conditions worldwide. Over the past decade, particularly in the United States and Europe, new intermediaries have emerged, organizing search and hiring services through digital platforms. More recently, significantly driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, these platforms have proliferated in Latin America, raising questions about the effects of this new form of intermediation in the region. While the dominant global view on digital labor platforms is that they lead to the precarization of working conditions, emerging international literature questions whether they might contribute to the formalization of the sector. This hypothesis is based on recognizing certain characteristics of digital intermediaries that can institutionalize the employment relationship in an activity that largely operates outside of regulation, where direct hiring and personalized negotiation of working conditions prevail. At the same time, the literature warns that certain business models of these platforms contribute to non-formalization and promote hiring practices that deepen precariousness. Within this debate, this article aims to contribute to understanding the intermediation methods of these new actors in Latin America, considering that the employment classification of workers is crucial for their access to rights. To this end, the article presents a regional mapping of digital platforms operating in the sector and proposes a typology based on the business models and types of hiring promoted by the studied platforms

Numerous digital labour platforms have emerged across various Latin American countries, connecting users with domestic services and care for children, the elderly, and dependents. Despite this growth, regulatory debates have largely ignored the digitalization of this sector, and there is a lack of research documenting the impact of these new technologies in the region. The purpose of this article is to enhance the existing body of knowledge on the platform economy in Latin America and the Caribbean with two main objectives: firstly, to provide an initial mapping of the platforms operating in the domestic and home care services; and secondly, to analyze the potential role these digital platforms can play in formalizing the labor market for workers in these sectors

This systematic literature review examines the panorama of interculturality in rural contexts of bilingual education in Latin America. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in Latin America and identify key themes, challenges, and gaps in the field. The review highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing linguistic and cultural diversity, particularly in marginalized rural communities. It also discusses the lack of adequate resources and educational policies as significant challenges to promoting intercultural bilingual education in these contexts. The findings underscore the need for further research and the development of effective strategies to enhance intercultural understanding and bilingual education in Latin American rural areas.

As the popularity of virtual exchange (VE) has increased worldwide in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many higher education institutions are seeking the most efficient ways of building capacity for this practice. Using the context of VE implementations between the United States and Mexico as a case study, this research aimed to identify strategies for VE capacity-building that can be useful to institutions in a variety of contexts. The study included only instructors with experience implementing VE, the majority of whom had implemented VE multiple times, and used mixed methods data gathered via a questionnaire and focus groups. The findings identified specific examples of the types of resources that higher education institutions in the U.S. and Mexico may consider investing in, such as increased support for teaching with technology and different types of incentives for instructors’ continued VE engagement. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for strategies that universities worldwide can use to enhance the support they offer their VE instructors, including resource sharing with partner institutions and VE organizations.

Since most Latin American countries achieved their independence in the 19th century, they have encountered a double challenge: Internally, to consolidate strong states that provide security and a sense of identity to their citizens and, internationally, to insert themselves effectively into the political and economic system. Within this process, the economic models and adjustment plans established in the region since the end of World War II have had an impact on the middle class, either increasing or decreasing its size. This is how the possibility of entering the middle class – although segmented into traditional and new – continues to be an idealized scenario where citizens can achieve decent living standards and even access certain luxuries. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the feeling of uncertainty and instability in the region, which resulted in negative macroeconomic indicators in terms of GDP or an increase in external debt. This situation had a substantial impact on the middle class, which was affected by the loss of jobs and income that would allow them to maintain or improve their living conditions. The possibilities of improving these conditions are aligned with the redirection of the social contract in force in the majority of Latin American societies, in which both communities and states must strive for agreements that reduce uncertainty and mutual distrust. This path opens the way to the application of actions that benefit not only the middle class but also the less favored classes.

In the 1930s, with the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt believed that the United States would soon need the sympathy and cooperation of Latin America. His Good Neighbor policy sought to improve relations between the countries of the Americas. Walt Disney was commissioned by Nelson D. Rockefeller, who was in charge of inter-American relations, to make a goodwill tour of Latin America in search of inspiration for films about the region. He and his group met with politicians and artists, researched local cultures, and personally experienced the region’s society, geography and wildlife. As a result of these experiences, Latin America became the setting for two Disney films in the 1940s, Saludos Amigos (Norman Ferguson, 1942) and The Three Caballeros (Norman Ferguson, 1944). The aim of this article is to describe the key role played by Walt Disney and his cartoon characters (especially Donald Duck) in the transformation of inter-American relations, especially from the aspect of culture.

Purpose – The article aims at exploring the challenges and possibilities of cooperation of higher education in a Latin American social, political and cultural context that faces historical difficulties of integration, as well as the potential contribution of academic cooperation for global citizenship. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a general overview of networks and international centers of academic cooperation of higher education in Latin America. The analysis comprises objectives, countries, stakeholders, activities, projects and scope. The study is based on literature on internationalization, regional integration and the development of higher education, as well as on empirical gathered with networks/centers and key actors in the field. This study was carried out as a mixed qualitative method design. Firstly, a systematic review of a literature corpus of studies produced by Latin-American scholars was performed. Semi-structured interviews were then carried out with a group of scholars who are members of networks. Findings – The findings include a review of the role of higher education in a politically fragmented reality, a panorama of major networks and international centers of academic cooperation with emphasis on internationalization of higher education, as well as their connections. The are highlighted examples of successful initiatives of cooperation and, based on interviews, there is presented a preliminary view on cooperation and trust building from professionals in higher education in Latin America. Originality/value – In the last decades, with the growing interest and need for internationalizing higher education, many universities have organized or joined networks and international centers. The article will contribute for mutual knowledge of these spaces, their shortcomings and potentials, thus creating conditions for dialogue among them, as well as with universities in other continents.

Türkiye ile Küba arasındaki ilişkiler Osmanlı Devleti dönemindeki göçlere dayanmakta olup uzun bir süre taraflar arasında ilerleme kaydedilememiştir. İki ülke arasındaki siyasi ilişkiler 1952 yılında başlamış olsa da coğrafi konumun uzaklığı ve dış politika anlayışlarındaki farklılıklar nedeniyle sınırlı düzeyde kalmıştır. Akabinde 1962 Küba Füze Krizi’nin yaşanması iki ülke arasındaki ilişkilerin ilerlemesini engellemiştir. 1995 yılında dönemin Cumhurbaşkanı Süleyman Demirel’in bölgedeki bazı ülkeleri (Arjantin, Brezilya, Şili) ziyaret etmesi ile Latin Amerika ve Karayipler Eylem Planı’nın (1998) Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Dışişleri Bakanlığı tarafından hazırlanarak kabul edilmesi ilişkilerde önemli bir adım olmuştur. 2006 yılına gelindiğinde ise 1998 tarihli Eylem Planı güncellenerek ‘2006 Eylem Planı’ olarak yeniden kabul edilmiştir. Türkiye genel olarak Latin Amerika, özel olarak Küba ile ilişkilerini geliştirmeyi dış politika stratejilerinden biri olarak belirlemiştir. Son yıllarda Ankara- Havana ilişkileri üst düzey ziyaretler ve ikili anlaşmalar ile geliştirip güçlendirilmeye devam etmektedir. Bu çalışmada iki ülke arasında ilişkilerin kurulmasını güçleştiren faktörler ve günümüzde atılan karşılıklı adımlar analiz edilmektedir. Siyasi ilişkilerin yanı sıra bölgesel-küresel örgütler ve kamu diplomasisi yapan kuruluşlar aracılığıyla sağlanan temaslar ele alınmaktadır.

The VII World Congress of the Comintern 1935 led to a sharp change in the tactics and strategy of the international communist movement and to a transition from radical “class against class” tactics to the formation of broad united anti-fascist fronts. In the period 1935-1939, the policy of “popu-lar fronts,” which consisted of building political alliances be-tween left-wing parties and organizations to fight the right, was implemented in many countries. In Latin America, where this tactic was implemented even before the VII Congress of the Comintern, “popular fronts” became widespread, some-times playing a significant role in the history of their coun-tries. Historiography covers in detail the history of the estab-lishing of alliances in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, etc. How-ever, the history of the organization of the “popular front” in Peru is less covered, although this story is interesting in that it largely reflects the problems that faced the sections of the Comintern. An attempt to form a "popular front" in Peru in 1934-1935, primarily based on the creation of an alliance be-tween the Communist Party of Peru (the CPP) and the Ameri-can Popular Revolutionary Alliance (the APRA) to participate in the 1936 elections, failed. There were several reasons for this: from the personal hostility of the APRA leader V.R. Haya de la Torre to the leader of the CPP E. Ravines before the policy that the CPP implemented according to the directives of the Comintern during the period of “class against class” tactics in 1930-1933.

The article examines the main ideological currents of the Lat-in American left, the reasons for the “left drift” of the early 21st century, so as the particularities and consequences of the new “pink wave.” The author notes that despite the radical slogans, the new left is closer to the center-left preaching the ideas of social democracy. Unlike classical Marxists, they do not offer a model of an alternative society. In the economic sphere, priority is given not to economic growth, but to the development of science, innovative technologies and digitali-zation, the social sphere is based on solving pressing prob-lems and greater justice. The new generation of leftists advocates strict adherence to democratic principles; the environ-mental component also occupies a large place in their programs. Priority attention is paid to overcoming the discrimination of various categories of citizens, to social inclusion and gender issues. Foreign policy is based on multivector and mutually beneficial relations with all states.

Image is an important concept not only for the individuals, but also for the states, which have an inherent desire to create a favourable image in their relations with other countries, and international organisations and the international community as a whole. In the modern world, with more and more means and opportunities for interaction and communication, states develop and implement systematic public policies to further enhance their international image. The policy makers of the Turkısh Republıc are actively pursuing an image-buıldıng po-licy in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as well as in distant geographies such as La-tin America, in order to improve Turkey's image positively with arguments supported by Islamic identity, Turkish nationalism and the claim of an imperial heritage. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Turkey has paid great attention to the formation of its positive image in different regions of the world. This study focuses on Turkey's policy on its foreıgn image in Latin America.

Abstract Background Latin America (LATAM) encompasses a vast region with diverse populations. Despite publicly funded health care systems providing universal coverage, significant socioeconomic and ethno-racial disparities persist in health care access across the region. Breast cancer (BC) incidence and mortality rates in Brazil are comparable to those in other LATAM countries, supporting the relevance of Brazilian data, with Brazil’s health care policies and expenditures often serving as models for neighboring countries. We evaluated the impact of mobility on oncological outcomes in LATAM by analyzing studies of patients with BC reporting commuting routes or travel distances to receive treatment or diagnosis. Methods We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, LILACS, and Google Scholar databases. Studies eligible for inclusion were randomized controlled trials and observational studies of patients with BC published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish and conducted in LATAM. The primary outcome was the impact of mobility or travel distance on oncological outcomes. Secondary outcomes included factors related to mobility barriers and access to health services. For studies meeting eligibility, relevant data were extracted using standardized forms. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Quantitative and qualitative evidence synthesis focused on estimating travel distances based on available data. Heterogeneity across distance traveled or travel time was addressed by converting reported travel time to kilometers traveled and estimating distances for unspecified locations. Results Of 1142 records identified, 14 were included (12 from Brazil, 1 from Mexico, and 1 from Argentina). Meta-analysis revealed an average travel distance of 77.8 km (95% CI, 49.1-106.48) to access BC-related diagnostic or therapeutic resources. Nonetheless, this average fails to precisely encapsulate the distinct characteristics of each region, where notable variations persist in travel distance, ranging from 88 km in the South to 448 km in the North. Conclusion The influence of mobility and travel distance on access to BC care is multifaceted and should consider the complex interplay of geographic barriers, sociodemographic factors, health system issues, and policy-related challenges. Further research is needed to comprehensively understand the variables impacting access to health services, particularly in LATAM countries, where the challenges women face during treatment remain understudied. Trial registration CRD42023446936.

Abstract Background Obesity is a global health problem, and its connection with social and environmental factors is well-established. Social factors, such as urban segregation, may impact obesity through various mechanisms, including food and physical activity environments, as well as social norms and networks. This multilevel study aims to examine the effect of socio-economic residential segregation of Latin American cities on the obesity of individuals within those cities. Methods We analyzed data from national surveys for a total of 59,340 individuals of 18–70 years of age, conducted in 156 cities across Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico between 2007 and 2013. We adjusted two-level linear mixed models for body mass index (BMI) stratified by sex and country, controlling for age, educational level and poverty. Separate models were built for dissimilarity and isolation segregation indices. Results The relationships between segregation indices and BMI were mostly not statistically significant, and in some cases, they were opposite to what was expected. The only significant relationships were observed in Colombian men, using the dissimilarity index (-7.5 [95% CI: -14.4, -0.5]) and in Colombian women, using the isolation index (-7.9 [95% CI: -14.1, -1.7]). Conclusions While individual-level factors cannot fully explain differences among people in the same city, segregation indices may help. However, we found that in some cases, the relationship between BMI and segregation indices is opposite to what is expected based on prior literature. This should be considered in examining the phenomenon. Further research on obesogenic environments in segregated neighborhoods could provide valuable evidence.

Currently, the generation of solid waste is observed as a problem that is escalating to higher levels in all countries of the world and also in Latin America. Thus, this literature review article aims to understand and describe the various waste management procedures used in different countries in the region. A search was carried out in different databases and bibliographic sources, using the Scielo, Dialnet and Scopus platforms. In this way and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 articles were selected, which were considered to provide the reality of policies, action plans, innovation in management techniques and infrastructure. Finally, the administrative deficiency in waste disposal processes is pointed out, which occurs widely in Latin America, with Brazil being the country that presents the greatest number of studies highlighting the deficiencies of its constituent cities. Furthermore, the impact of the joint work of participatory agents (population, state, private sector) is highlighted, which conditions both the good and bad results of solid waste management.