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  • Eradicating an Ancient Disease

    Monday, January 26th, 2009

    Leprosy. What images does that word invoke for you? The stories of ostracized lepers from the Bible, Torah or Koran? The scenes involving isolated “leper colonies” from Papillon or Motorcycle Diaries? How much do you know about it?  Is it very contagious? (No.) Is it curable?  (Yes.) Hasn’t it disappeared except for isolated communities in […]

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    Brazil Proposes LAC’s First Mandatory Standby Power Labels for Projection, Plasma & LCD TVs

    Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

    On 15 December Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro) released for public comment a proposed compulsory energy labeling scheme for plasma, projection (if between 42 and 65 inches measured diagonally) and liquid crystal display (LCD) screen televisions. If the measure is adopted unchanged, the rule will require all new sets manufactured […]

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    New Brazilian Rules on Pharmaceutical Marketing

    Wednesday, December 24th, 2008

    Brazil’s Health Minister, José Gomes Temporão, and the head of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), Dirceu Raposo, recently announced new rules on pharmaceutical marketing in that country to replace less ambitious ones adopted in 2000.  The new rules aim at substantially changing how medicines are promoted in Latin America’s largest pharma market, and may […]

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    An E-Waste Bill for Santa Catarina / Projeto de Lei Sobre E-Lixo para Santa Catarina

    Thursday, September 18th, 2008

    Earlier this month a bill was introduced in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina (SC) to impose extended producer responsibility (EPR) for end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment — WEEE, e-waste or “technological trash” (lixo tecnológico) as Brazilians like to call it. SC is not the first state to attempt legislation on this subject.  Mato […]

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    An Alcohol Control Bill for Uruguay

    Friday, September 12th, 2008

    Uruguay’s National Drug Board (Junta Nacional de Drogas – JND), Inter-sectoral Coordinator on Alcohol Policies (CIPA) and Ministry of Public Health (MSP) recently presented to the press and public an unusually tough (for a Latin American nation, at least) alcohol control bill that they are sending to the national legislature. A Law, Not a Decree […]

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    Argentina Lurches Toward an Obesity Law…

    Monday, August 11th, 2008

    By all accounts, Argentina’s Senate will pass an “obesity law” this coming week. If President Cristina Fernandez signs it, Argentina will become the first Latin American or Caribbean (LAC) country to adopt a national law or regulation directly addressing the issue. [Some Brazilian states have laws on aspects of the issue, and several nations currently […]

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    World No-Tobacco Day in LAC: Brazil Targets Teens, Adopts Brutal Images

    Saturday, June 7th, 2008

    How did Brazil celebrate World No-Tobacco Day (May 31)? With assaults on tobacco and smoking from many sides, and some of them hard-hitting. This year’s theme selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) for this year’s Day was “Tobacco-Free Youth.” Most of Brazil’s activities followed the theme directly. One was a new publicity campaign of […]

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