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Loading ...A New Image for Chilean Cigarette Packs
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009Chile’s Health Ministry (Minsal) today issued a decree adding a new health warning message and picture to those that must be displayed on cigarette packs sold in that country on a rotating basis. As of 12 November, cigarette packs placed on the Chilean market must include the image at right on no less than 50% […]
Bolivia Bans Dozens of Pesticides, Activists Call for Rest of LAC to Follow
Monday, February 2nd, 2009At the close of the meeting of the Latin American section of the Pesticide Action Network (known by its Spanish acronym RAP-AL) in La Paz last week, host country Bolivia announced that it was banning all pesticides with active ingredients classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as extremely (Class 1a) or highly (Class 1b) […]
Fiocruz Gets Green Light to Produce AIDS Medicine Under Compulsory License
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Brazil’s National Sanitary Vigilance Agency (ANVISA) has authorized the Pharmaceutical Technology Institute (“Farmanguinhos“) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz“) to begin producing the antiretriviral drug Efavirenz. About 80,000 Brazilian HIV-positive patients currently receive the drug through the National Program on Sexually-Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and AIDS. To refresh memories, Efavirenz is the AIDS drug for which […]
Brazil Seeks to Lead in Stem-Cell Research
Monday, January 26th, 2009Brazil’s Health Ministry is sponsoring Brazilian research that has led to the production of the first line of induced pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells are able to transform into any cell type. They are similar to embryonic stem cells but do not need to be obtained from embryos. Brazil becomes the fifth (and the […]
Eradicating an Ancient Disease
Monday, January 26th, 2009Leprosy. 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 […]
A Water and Sanitation Atlas for Brazil
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008Last month a branch of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz“), the Institute of Communication and Scientific and Technological Information in Health (Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde – Icict), in partnership with the Health Ministry’s (MS) General Coordination for Environmental Health Surveillance (Coordenação Geral de Vigilância em Saúde Ambiental – CGVAM), […]
New Cigarette Health Warnings/Images in Chile
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008A couple of weeks back Chile’s Health Ministry (Minsal) announced a new warning that, according to a new decree just published in the official gazette, all cigarette packs placed on the Chilean market must bear starting on 16 November. Chile, it appears, has decided to forgo the shock treatment approach that Brazil and Uruguay have […]
Implications of the World Cancer Declaration for LAC
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008The World Cancer Congress recently concluded with by adopting the World Cancer Declaration (WCD), a global plan of action to combat cancer, particularly in developing countries such as those of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The Declaration has already been endorsed by hundreds of organizations, including many health ministries (such as Chile‘s) and other […]
A Loan to Improve Health Care in Panama / Un préstamo para Mejorar la Salud Básica en Panamá
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008From the World Bank: The World Bank Board of Directors today approved two loans totaling US$75 million for Panama to increase access to and quality of basic health services and education among the poor in rural and indigenous areas. “The central objective of the government’s program is to tackle poverty and inequality by improving access […]