Eqüidade e reforma setorial na América Latina: um debate necessário Equity and health sector reform in Latin America: a necessary debate

Reforma e eqüidade são termos que têm freqüentado os discursos políticos, documentos técnicos e discussões conceituais nas últimas décadas em distintas propostas com diferentes referenciais ideológicos. Entender a importância e centralidade desses temas no debate contemporâneo na América Latina pressupõe aprofundar a reflexão sobre a política de saúde no âmbito das políticas sociais, qualificar de que reformas estamos falando e o lugar que a eqüidade ocupa nessa discussão. Na primeira parte deste ensaio, discutem-se os conceitos de reforma e eqüidade; a seguir, faz-se um repasse sobre política de saúde como política social; e por fim, são discutidos os elementos centrais da agenda de reforma de sistemas de saúde na região. Conclui-se que a situação é dramática, as reformas recentes exacerbaram as desigualdades e criaram novos problemas, ao substituir valores de solidariedade e igualdade de oportunidade pelos de um "individualismo utilitarista radical"; e o princípio de "necessidades de saúde" pelo de "risco", monetarizado e definido segundo a posição social e econômica do indivíduo. Faz-se necessário retomar a discussão das políticas sociais e de saúde como a matriz de princípios que justificam o ordenamento de quaisquer outras políticas.<br>Reform and equity are terms that have frequented political discourse, technical documents, and conceptual discussions in recent decades in different proposals with different ideological references. To understand the importance and centrality of these themes in the contemporary debate in Latin America implies a more in-depth reflection on health policy in the sphere of social policies and to define which reforms were are discussing and the place equity occupies in this discussion. The first part of this essay discusses the concepts of reform and equity, followed by a review of health policy as a social policy. The article ends by discussing the central elements on the health systems reform agenda in Latin America. The conclusion is that the situation is dramatic and that recent reforms have exacerbated inequalities and created new problems by replacing the values of solidarity and equal opportunity with those of "radical utilitarian individualism"; meanwhile, the principle of "health needs" has been replaced by that of "risk", "monetarized" and defined according to the individual's social and economic position. It becomes necessary to resume the discussion of social and health policies as the matrix of principles justifying the order ascribed to any other policies

The arboreal component of a dry forest in Northeastern Brazil

The dry forests of northeastern Brazil are found near the coastal zone and on low, isolated mountains inland amid semi-arid vegetation. The floristic composition of these dry montane forests, as well as their relationship to humid forests (Atlantic forest sensu stricto) and to the deciduous thorn woodlands (Caatinga sensu stricto) of the Brazilian northeast are not yet well known. This paper sought to determine if the arboreal plants in a dry forest growing on a low mountain in the semi-arid inland region (Serra Negra, 8° 35’ - 8° 38’ S and 38° 02’ - 38° 04’ W) between the municipalities of Floresta and Inajá, state of Pernambuco have the same floristic composition and structure as that seen in other regional forests. In fifty 10 x 20 m plots all live and standing dead trees with trunk measuring > 5 cm diameter at breast height were measured. Floristic similarities between the forest studied and other regional forests were assessed using multivariate analysis. The results demonstrate that the dry forest studied can be classified into two groups that represent two major vegetational transitions: (1) a humid forest/dry forest transition; and (2) a deciduous thorn-woodland/ dry forest transition

Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina

The southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) is a rock specialist that inhabits small colonies in isolated rocky outcrops of northwestern Patagonia. This study analyzes its diet selection in relation to food availability, establishes the degree of dietary specialization, and discusses the potential competition with exotic herbivores. Diet composition and food availability were determined in summer and winter in eight rocky outcrops by microhistological analysis of fecal pellets, and food availability was estimated by the Braun Blanquet cover abundance scale. Vegetation cover differences were detected by using a random analysis of variance (ANOVA) factorial block design, and dietary preferences were determined by the confidence interval of Bonferroni. The southern vizcacha showed a specialized feeding behavior despite the consumption of a wide variety of items. Their diet was concentrated on a few types of food, mainly grasses, and the trophic niche was narrow and without seasonal variations. In winter, when food was scarce and of lower quality than summer, diet was dominated by Stipa speciosa, suggesting a selection according to the selective quality hypothesis. Our results (narrow trophic niche, restricted activity near rocky outcrops, and a diet with high proportions of low-quality grasses) showed that the vizcacha is an obligatory dietary specialist, and these characteristics made it highly vulnerable to changes in food availability. In this scenario, overgrazing caused by alien species with similar diets, as the European hare and livestock, could negatively affect their colonies.Fil: Galende, Gladys I.. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Departamento de Zoología; ArgentinaFil: Raffaele, Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentin