Resumen Después de más de una década de avances en diversos ámbitos del desarrollo social, desde 2015 en América Latina se registran aumentos en la pobreza, deterioros en indicadores del mercado laboral y un estancamiento en la reducción de la desigualdad del ingreso. Estas tendencias son preocupantes ya que pueden perjudicar los indicadores de salud y exacerbar las profundas desigualdades en salud. Esta situación demanda respuestas integradas de políticas, capaces de crear sinergias entre diferentes sectores. Existe un creciente reconocimiento sobre el rol de la protección social en la erradicación de la pobreza y la reducción de la desigualdad. Los diversos mecanismos de protección social aminoran los costos de acudir a servicios de salud de manera directa e indirecta. Mediante la expansión de la cobertura y el acceso universal, las acciones de promoción y prevención en salud y nutrición, y de manera fundamental, la lucha contra la pobreza, la desigualdad y la exclusión, la protección social juega un papel ineludible para la garantía del derecho a la salud y la superación de desigualdades en esta área. La reducción de las desigualdades en salud debe ser una prioridad para todos los países y un camino para avanzar en esa dirección es promover la construcción y el fortalecimiento de sistemas de protección social universales.

En los últimos decenios, la población de América Latina entró en un proceso de envejecimiento sostenido. Los cambios relacionados con el auge de la sociedad digital han transformado profundamente la manera en que los habitantes de la región interactúan entre sí y con sus Gobiernos. En este artículo se analiza el uso y la apropiación de las tecnologías digitales por parte de las personas mayores en la región. Se describe la evolución del uso que hacen de Internet, utilizando datos de las encuestas de hogares de los respectivos países. Se examinan los factores determinantes del uso de Internet entre las personas mayores, teniendo en cuenta variables como el sexo, el origen étnico, el nivel educativo y la residencia rural o urbana mediante análisis de regresión logística, y se destacan las políticas y los programas para promover la inclusión de las personas mayores mediante el uso de tecnologías digitales. Palabras clave Envejecimiento, ancianos, Internet, tecnología de la información, tecnología de las comunicaciones, brecha digital, alfabetización en materia de computación, encuestas de hogares, programas de acción, indicadores TIC,

Disability is complex and multifaceted, complicating governments’ efforts to collect the high-quality, comprehensive data necessary for developing, implementing, and monitoring policies. Yet data are needed to obtain information on functioning in the population, to identify the population with disabilities, and to disaggregate indicators of well-being by disability to determine whether people with disabilities are participating in society to the same extent as those without disabilities. In this article we discuss the need for data harmonization to improve disability research and policy. We describe standard question sets on disability developed for inclusion in surveys and administrative systems, as well as the need for coordination of both statistical and administrative data systems. Until disability data become more harmonized, it will not be possible to support the development of comprehensive, evidence-based policies and programs to address the needs of the population with disabilities.

In recent decades, countries across Latin America have entered a stage of sustained population ageing. In parallel, changes associated with the rise of the digital society have profoundly transformed the way in which people in the region interact with each other and with their governments. This paper examines the use and appropriation of digital technologies among older adults in the region. In particular, it describes the evolution of Internet use by older adults in the region, using data from national household surveys; examines the determinants of Internet use among older adults, considering variables such as sex, ethnicity, education level and rural/urban residence using logistic regression analysis; and, lastly, highlights policies and programmes that are being implemented to promote the inclusion of older adults through the use of digital technologies. country groups. The first group (seven countries) has relatively high levels of fertility (more than 3.3 children per woman) and an ageing index of less than 17 older adults for every 100 children under 15 years of age. These countries are in what ECLAC has termed the incipient stage of the demographic transition process. The second group consists of 15 countries with lower fertility rates (between 2.3 and 3 children per woman) and ageing indices that range between 19.8 and 31.9, which means they are at the moderate stage of the ageing process. The three countries in the third group are at a moderate-to-advanced stage of ageing, as their fertility rates vary between 1.7 and 2.5 children per woman and their ageing indices range from 32.8 to 51 older adults per 100 children under the age of 15 (five countries). The fourth and final group (three countries) is in the advanced stage of ageing, with lower levels of fertility (below the replacement rate) and ageing indices over 65 (ECLAC, 2007). 2 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines older adults as all persons aged 60 years or over in developing countries and, in developed countries, all persons aged 65 years old or over, taking into consideration life expectancy at birth, among other factors. However, each country is free to establish the age at which its population is considered older adult. This is the case with Costa Rica and Uruguay, which set 65 as the age at which a person starts to be considered an older adult. Stage Description Countries Incipient ageing Countries that have relatively high levels of fertility (over 3.3 children per woman) and an ageing index of less than 17 older adults for every 100 children under the age of 15 Belize, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay Moderate ageing Countries with lower fertility rates (between 2.3 and 3 children per woman) and ageing indices that range between 19.8 and 31.Saint Lucia, Suriname and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Moderateto-advanced ageing Countries with fertility rates varying between 1.7 and 2.5 children per woman and ageing indices ranging from 32.8 to 51 older adults per 100 children under t...

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