Population health diagnosis with an ecohealth approach

OBJECTIVE To analyze the characteristics of health diagnosis according to the ecohealth approach in rural and urban communities in Mexico.METHODS Health diagnosis were conducted in La Nopalera, from December 2007 to October 2008, and in Atlihuayan, from December 2010 to October 2011. The research was based on three principles of the ecohealth approach: transdisciplinarity, community participation, gender and equity. To collect information, a joint methodology and several techniques were used to stimulate the participation of inhabitants. The diagnostic exercise was carried out in five phases that went from collecting information to prioritization of problems.RESULTS The constitution of the transdisciplinary team, as well as the participation of the population and the principle of gender/equity were differentials between the communities. In the rural community, the active participation of inhabitants and authorities was achieved and the principles of transdisciplinarity and gender/equity were incorporated.CONCLUSIONS With all the difficulties that entails the boost in participation, the incorporation of gender/equity and transdisciplinarity in health diagnosis allowed a holistic public health approach closer to the needs of the population.The constitution of the transdisciplinary team, as well as the participation of the population and the principle of gender/equity were differentials between the communities. In the rural community, the active participation of inhabitants and authorities was achieved and the principles of transdisciplinarity and gender/equity were incorporatedOBJETIVO Analizar las características del diagnóstico de salud según el enfoque de ecosalud en comunidades rural y urbana en México.MÉTODOS Los diagnósticos de salud se efectuaron en La Nopalera, de diciembre 2007 a octubre 2008 y en Atlihuayan de diciembre 2010 a octubre de 2011. Se basó en tres principios del enfoque de ecosalud: transdiciplina, participación comunitaria, género y equidad. Para colectar la información se utilizó una metodología mixta y diversas técnicas para estimular la participación de los habitantes. El ejercicio de diagnóstico se efectuó en cinco fases que oscilaron desde la recolección de información hasta la priorización de problemas.RESULTADOS La constitución del equipo transdisciplinario, así como la participación de la población y el principio de género/equidad fue diferencial entre las comunidades. En la comunidad rural, se logró la participación activa de los pobladores y autoridades y se incorporaron los principios de transdisciplina y género/equidad.CONCLUSIONES Con todas las dificultades que acarrea el impulso de la participación, la incorporación del género/equidad y la transdisciplina en el diagnóstico de salud, permitió un abordaje holístico de salud pública más cercano a las necesidades de la población

Design and efficacy of an Ecohealth competency-based course on the prevention and control of vector diseases in Latin America

Objective. To design and analyze the efficacy of an Ecohealth competency-based course on the prevention and control of vector-borne-diseases for specific stakeholders. Materials and methods. Multiple stakeholders and sectors of the region were consulted to identify Ecohealth group-specific competencies using an adjusted analysis matrix. Eight courses based on the competencies were implemented to train EA tutors. The effectiveness of the course was evaluated through the use of paired- t-tests by intervention group. Results. Strategic, tactical, academia and community stakeholder groups and their competencies were identified. An overall gain of 43 percentage points (p<0.001) was observed in terms of competencies score in trained tutors, which further trained 1 033 people. Conclusion. The identification of the stakeholders and their competencies proved to be useful to guide training courses to significantly improve the initial competencies and create a critical mass to further advance the EA in the regio

Recent Developments in Public Health Nursing in the Americas

This study presents an assessment of the participation and training of nurses in public health areas in the Americas. Information was gathered through a literature review and interviews with key informants from Mexico, Colombia, and Paraguay. Results demonstrate that there is significant variation in definitions of public health nursing across the region and current systematized data about the workforce profile of public health nursing personnel is not available for many countries in the Americas. There are significant regional differences in the levels and types of training of nurses working in public health areas and an increasing number of nurses are pursuing training in public health at the master’s and doctoral levels. Many nurses carry out some or all of the essential functions of public health, but are not considered to be public health nurses. Generally, auxiliary and technical nurses have a broader presence in public health areas than professional nurses. In the future, regional health systems reforms should support increased recruitment and training of public health nurses, as well as stronger roles in public health research and health care at the individual, community, and population levels

The Public Health Leadership and Implementation Academy for Noncommunicable Diseases.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have a large burden of noncommunicable diseases and confront leadership capacity challenges and gaps in implementation of proven interventions. To address these issues, we designed the Public Health Leadership and Implementation Academy (PH-LEADER) for noncommunicable diseases. The objective of this program evaluation was to assess the quality and effectiveness of PH-LEADER. INTERVENTION APPROACH: PH-LEADER was directed at midcareer public health professionals, researchers, and government public health workers from LMICs who were involved in prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. The 1-year program focused on building implementation research and leadership capacity to address noncommunicable diseases and included 3 complementary components: a 2-month online preparation period, a 2-week summer course in the United States, and a 9-month, in-country, mentored project. EVALUATION METHODS: Four trainee groups participated from 2013 through 2016. We collected demographic information on all trainees and monitored project and program outputs. Among the 2015 and 2016 trainees, we assessed program satisfaction and pre-post program changes in leadership practices and the perceived competence of trainees for performing implementation research. RESULTS: Ninety professionals (mean age 38.8 years; 57% male) from 12 countries were trained over 4 years. Of these trainees, 50% were from India and 29% from Mexico. Trainees developed 53 projects and 9 publications. Among 2015 and 2016 trainees who completed evaluation surveys (n = 46 of 55), we saw pre-post training improvements in the frequency with which they acted as role models (Cohen's d = 0.62, P <.001), inspired a shared vision (d = 0.43, P =.005), challenged current processes (d = 0.60, P <.001), enabled others to act (d = 0.51, P =.001), and encouraged others by recognizing or celebrating their contributions and accomplishments (d = 0.49, P =.002). Through short on-site evaluation forms (scale of 1-10), trainees rated summer course sessions as useful (mean, 7.5; SD = 0.2), with very good content (mean, 8.5; SD = 0.6) and delivered by very good professors (mean, 8.6; SD = 0.6), though they highlighted areas for improvement. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: The PH-LEADER program is a promising strategy to build implementation research and leadership capacity to address noncommunicable diseases in LMICs

The Mexican Public Health School and its continental interaction: 1945-1982.

This article analyzes a 37 year period during which the Mexican School of Public Health gave priority to teaching over research, related with American projects that promoted students exchange and became part of the group of Latin American Schools of Public Health that created the Latin American association of Public Health Schools (ALAESP). Due to the contribution of the Pan-American Health Organization, the association got together on a regular basis between 1959 and 1979 and the Mexican representatives participated in the discussions held to improve performance within schools and make sure they were all oriented towards the three main priorities: teaching, research and implementation of services in the community. Based upon this context, which was ruled by the OPS, we now analyze the role of the Mexican school in the generation of human resources for health and its performance within the context of Latin American Schools

LA UNIDAD DIDÁCTICA AUTOMATIZADA: HERRAMIENTA PARA LA PLANEACIÓN EDUCATIVA. THE DIDATIC UNIT AUTOMATED: EDUCATION PLANING TOOL

La Escuela de Salud Pública de México (ESPM) ha incorporado en los últimos años herramientas tecnológicas al servicio del proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje, como parte de su modelo educativo por competencias. La reingeniería y automatización de sus principales procesos se ha realizado a través del desarrollo del Sistema de Información para la Gestión Académica Automatizada, el cual tiene como uno de sus principales módulos la Unidad Didáctica Automatizada (UDA). Esta herramienta ofrece a los docentes estrategias claras y precisas para una planificación de la enseñanza eficaz y convierte el acto planificación individual en un proceso social, al favorecer un  ordenado proceso de gestión de la información que potencia el principio de colaboración y de trabajo en red.Palabas Clave: educación,  tecnología, competencia, planificación educativa, programación. AbstractThe School of Public Health of Mexico, in recent years, has built tools to serve the process of learning as part of their educational model. The reengineering and automatization of its main processes has been realized through the development of the Information System for the Automated Academic Management (SIGAA, by its Spanish acronym). One of the system modules is the Automated Teaching Unit (UDA). This tool provides teachers a catalog of clear and precise tools for an effective educational planning and turns the individual planning act into a social process, to promote an orderly process of information management that enhances the principle of collaboration and networking.Keywords: education, technology, competences, education planning, programming.