BackgroundChronic diseases are increasing among children in Latin America.Objective and MethodsTo examine environmental risk factors for chronic disease in Latin American children and to develop a strategic initiative for control of these exposures, the World Health Organization (WHO) including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Collegium Ramazzini, and Latin American scientists reviewed regional and relevant global data.ResultsIndustrial development and urbanization are proceeding rapidly in Latin America, and environmental pollution has become widespread. Environmental threats to children’s health include traditional hazards such as indoor air pollution and drinking-water contamination; the newer hazards of urban air pollution; toxic chemicals such as lead, asbestos, mercury, arsenic, and pesticides; hazardous and electronic waste; and climate change. The mix of traditional and modern hazards varies greatly across and within countries reflecting industrialization, urbanization, and socioeconomic forces.ConclusionsTo control environmental threats to children’s health in Latin America, WHO, including PAHO, will focus on the most highly prevalent and serious hazards—indoor and outdoor air pollution, water pollution, and toxic chemicals. Strategies for controlling these hazards include developing tracking data on regional trends in children’s environmental health (CEH), building a network of Collaborating Centres, promoting biomedical research in CEH, building regional capacity, supporting development of evidence-based prevention policies, studying the economic costs of chronic diseases in children, and developing platforms for dialogue with relevant stakeholders.CitationLaborde A, Tomasina F, Bianchi F, Bruné MN, Buka I, Comba P, Corra L, Cori L, Duffert CM, Harari R, Iavarone I, McDiarmid MA, Gray KA, Sly PD, Soares A, Suk WA, Landrigan PJ. 2015. Children’s health in Latin America: the influence of environmental exposures. Environ Health Perspect 123:201–209; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408292

El desafío de avanzar hacia la materialización del derecho a la salud para todos a través de la estrategia para el acceso y la cobertura universal de salud (salud universal) requiere de múltiples condiciones y acciones. Una de ellas es contar con trabajadores de la salud suficientes, bien distribuidos y con las competencias y motivación que hagan posible la transformación de los servicios de salud y proporcionen respuestas integrales y de calidad a las personas y sus comunidades. Este artículo, producto del diálogo de académicos de diversos centros universitarios de las Américas, reflexiona y enfatiza cuatro dimensiones esenciales: la planificación, la formación interprofesional, la misión o responsabilidad social de los centros formadores y el uso de modelos de docencia-servicio-investigación. Estas dimensiones deben ser atendidas para una formación integral de profesionales de salud que contribuyan a hacer factible la salud universal.

Rev. salud pública. 14 sup (1): 56-67, 2012 56 Los problemas en el mundo del trabajo y su impacto en salud. Crisis fi nanciera actual RESUMENLa salud y el trabajo son procesos múltiples y complejos, vinculados e infl uenciados entre sí. Se puede afi rmar que el mundo del trabajo es extremadamente complejo y heterogéneo en donde conviven los llamados "viejos" o tradicionales riesgos con los derivados de los nuevos modelos de organización laboral y de la incorporación de las nuevas tecnologías, los llamados "riesgos modernos". Las estrategias neoliberales han tenido como resultados la desocupación, la precarización de las relaciones laborales y la externalización de los riesgos laborales. En el actual trabajo se presentan algunos de los emergentes negativos del proceso de salud-enfermedad observados a partir de estas transformaciones en el mundo del trabajo y además de los derivados de la actual situación de crisis económica mundial. Por último se plantea la necesidad de reconstrucción de políticas que atiendan esta problemática derivada del mundo del trabajo.Palabras Clave: Salud, trabajo, crisis, desempleo, riesgos laborales (fuente: DeCS, BIREME) ABSTRACTHealth and work are complex processes. Besides, they are multiple considering the forms they take. These two processes are linked to each other and they are infl uenced by each other. According to this, it is possible to establish that work world is extremely complex and heterogenous. In this world, "old" or traditional risks coexist with "modern risks", derived from the new models of work organization and the incorporation of new technologies. Unemployment, work relationships precariousness and work risks outsourcing are results of neoliberal strategies. Some negative results of healthsickness process derived from transformation in work world and current global economic crisis have been noticed in current work conditions. Finally, the need for reconstructing policies focusing on this situation derived from work world is suggested.

An outbreak of Q fever was reported during 2003-2004 in the Experimental Wildlife Breeding Station Department of Maldonado-Uruguay. A descriptive epidemiological investigation and nested case-control were conducted to identify factors associated with occurrence of Q fever (reservoir; animal's habitats and risk related to working activities) Seroepidemiological survey in humans and in the suspect animals were carried out. 117 workers were studied. Q fever was confirmed in 25 cases, (prevalence of 21.37%, 95% IC: 14.3-29.9). The outbreak may have been caused by aerosolization of Coxiella burnetii whilst carrying out grass mowing (OR: 10.91, 95% CI: 3.61-34.08). The field deer, Ozotoceros bezoarticus, was identified as the reservoir of the infective agent though the participation of other species was not ruled out.