Brazil: Foreign Doctors Arrive in Brazil to Begin Government Program

Globo reported on August 24, 2013 that the first group of foreign doctors in the More Doctors program arrived in various cities of Brazil on Friday (23). The doctors include 145 foreigners; many from Cuba, and 99 Brazilians who attended school overseas. The doctors will need to participate in a three-week course about law and the health system in Brazil before beginning wok on September 16 for 40 hours per week for three years. Much controversy has circulated around the government’s program in regards to the requirement of the exam application, validity of one’s diploma, and fluency in Portuguese. Read Article

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Brazil: Dilma Announces Pact With Public Officials to Meet Demand of Protesters

On June 21, 2013, Terra reported that President Dilma responded to the increased use of violence in the protests, such as attacking public and private property, by promising a pact with governors and mayors to fulfill the demands of the protesters. This pact by the President will focus on three issues: that of public transportation, […]

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Mato Grosso, Brazil: Drug Abuse Grows in Indigenous Communities

midianews.com.br reported on June 2, 2013 that in Mato Grosso; a state with one of the highest numbers of indigenous people, Indians are suffering from drug addiction; primarily that of cocaine base paste and crack. The government is still uncertain of how to effectively identify and handle the situation. Lectures in such communities have been […]

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Study Reveals Brazil Ranks Number One Consumer of Crack Worldwide

On May 24, 2013, Globo reported that according to a study by the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil is considered the number one consumer of crack worldwide. The study reveals that about one million users live with their families and the number could potentially double, if considering the addicts who live on the streets. […]

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Brazil Hosts WHO Conference to Increase Distribution of Foreign Doctors

Terra reported on May 22, 2013 that Brazil will host the upcoming 2013 World Health Organization conference to discuss the need for increased availability and distribution of foreign doctors and specialists in countries in need of professionals. The conference will be held in Recife, Brazil. Brazil was chosen as the host after leading the discussion […]

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Cuenca, Ecuador: More Deaths Due to Altered Alcohol

ElComercio.com reports six people from the Cuencan parishes of Octavio Cordero, Banos and Victoria del Portete have died during the weekend and today, Monday August 15th from what officials believe is ingesting altered alcohol. Officials say the alcohol was purchased in Cuenca. Four of the deceased are from the same family and are believed to […]

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Mexico: 1 out of Every 3 Teens are Obese

According to the National Health and Nutrition Inquest, 29% of all Mexican adolescents suffer from obesity, Yucatan News reports. The World Health Organizations classifies obesity as a “worldwide epidemic,” affecting 300 million adults and 42 million children worldwide. 2.6 million people die each year from obesity and illnesses caused by the disease. The high rate […]

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Buenos Aires, Argentina home to over 6 thousand illegal food vendors

The capital city of Buenos Aires is home to 6250 street-side food stalls selling anything from hot dogs, hamburgers, fruits and vegetables, to homemade empanadas, fresh squeezed orange juice and a variety of local snacks. According to infobae.com, only 40 of these food vendors are legal. A law regulating street food venders was passed in […]

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Puno, Peru: 48 Children Die of Pneumonia Due to Low Temperatures

According to RPP.com.pe young children, under the age of 5 are dying due to low temperatures in the Puno region. The director of the Office of Epidemiology of the Regional Health Office in Puno says in the 30th week they have recorded 48 deaths of children 5 years old and younger. Reportedly, Juliaca has the […]

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Mexico: Dengue Reduced by 80% in Oaxaca

Incidences of dengue in the state of Oaxaca have been reduced by 80% in comparison to 2010, with only 225 cases reported compared to last year’s 1,136, Ciudania Express reports. Oaxaca Health Services (SSO) is attributing the reduction to increased measures by the agency and residents to combat the disease. The agency has treated 494,609 […]

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Manabi, Ecuador: Ammonia Leak in Plant Affects About 30 People

According to ElUniverso.com about 30 people in the community of El Verdun in the Tosagua canton in Manabi were affected by an ammonia leak in a shrimp plant that was closed 12 years ago. Authorities say the incident was reported on Tuesday, August 2nd around 6 a.m. when people were beginning to suffer symptoms from […]

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Los Olivos, Peru: Factory Gas Leak Emergency Affecting About 300 People

According to RPP.com.pe a gas leak alarm sounded in the Farmagro factory located in Los Olivos on the 60th block on Alfredo Mendiola Avenue. Officials say emergency personnel, firefighters and paramedics responded to the alarm, which affected about 300 people. The gas composition is identified as methionine, composed by a mixture of sulfur and phosphorus. […]

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Imbabura, Ecuador: One Week, 137 Indigenous Peoples Suffering Food Poisoning

According to ElUniverso.com in one week 137 people have contracted food poisoning from eating bad food in the canton of Imbabura. Health officials say the first cases of food poisoning occurred eight days ago when 58 people came down with salmonella poisoning after eating infected red meat in a local meat restaurant. The second case […]

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Chiclayo, Peru: Pest Control Campaign in Rural Areas, Hantavirus Outbreak

RPP.com.pe reports that Peruvian health officials have issued a health warning in three provinces in the region of Chiclayo due to the outbreak of the Hantavirus. Health officials of the regional office in Lambayeque have initiated pest control campaigns, coordinated with municipal districts for the rural zone that houses a high population of Peruvians. Health […]

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Sickle Cell Anemia Not Well Known in Colombia

•Sickle Cell Anemia, though not well known in Colombia, affects 3.5% of the population of such departments as Bolívar, Atlántico, and Choco per RCN La Radio. •Sickle Cell Anemia causes deformation of red blood cells which can lead to damage to the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys. •The World Health Organization states that the most […]

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90% of Brazilians Are Not Practicing Healthy Diets

•According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 90% of Brazilians are not practicing healthy diets with sufficient nutrients due to a lack of fruits and vegetables. •El Espectador reports that 400 grams of fruit and vegetables is what the WHO and the Brazilian Dietary Guide recommends. •The Analysis of Personal Dietary Consumption in Brazil was […]

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Increase in Cases of Hepatitis Among Colombian Youth

•In the last 5 years, Colombians between the ages of 15 and 30 have experienced an increase in the cases of Hepatitis according to the Colombian Association of Hepatology per RCN Radio. •Those who have not been vaccinated against the disease are at risk of infection from such activities as blood transfusions, unprotected sex, and […]

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Mexico: 30% of Adults Have High Blood Pressure

A specialist from the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) has announced that 30% of Mexico’s population over the age of 18 suffers from hypertension, El Universal reports. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is known as the “silent killer” as it does not show any symptoms during its initial phase and needs an early diagnosis […]

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Azuay and Tungurahua, Ecuador: More Deaths Due To Altered Alcohol

According to ElComercio.com, authorities in Azuay and Tungurahua provinces confirmed the death of four people from methanol in alcohol on Monday July 25th. Officials say this bring the total methanol-alcohol related deaths to 32. Health officials in Los Rios say they have recorded 20 deaths due to alcohol containing methanol. Cuencan health officials’ say three […]

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Measles Health Alert Dismissed in State of Mexico

The State of Mexico Health Institute (ISEM) has disqualified a possible health alert in the state due to the measles epidemic in Europe and the United States, El Sol de Mexico reports. The cases detected in Mexico do not currently present a potential threat to public health, the institute says. In addition, the state of […]

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Measles Epidemic Threatens Two Million People in Mexico City

The head of the Epidemiology Department of Mexico’s Ministry of Health, Hugo López-Gatel, estimates that between 1.8 and 2.2 million people are at risk for measles because they have not been vaccinated, RIA Novosti reports. The country first reported the risk of an epidemic in the middle of June. On July 20, federal health authorities […]

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Tulcan, Ecuador: Falsified Pills Found in Raids

ElNorte.ec reports on Tuesday, July 19th altered medication was found in two houses in the south of Tulcan by the Ecuadorian National Police. Officials say a secret lab was also discovered. Police say tools and equipment for the manufacturing of altered medication were found in the two places. Additionally, police say in the first location […]

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Santa Domingo, Ecuador: Found Methanol Contaminated Alcohol

According to ElComercio.com the Provincial Health Department in Santa Domingo has confirmed that one of the four samples sent to the National Institute of Hygiene, Izquieta Perez, in Quito, has tested positive for methanol. The provincial director says the alcohol was from Alluriquin and that officials have been notified in order to proceed with investigations. […]

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Cuenca, Ecuador: Two Dead from Methanol Poisoning in Alcohol

According to ElComercio.com the Department of Health in Azuay confirmed the second death related to the poisoning of industrial alcohol. The Department also says that there are another two suspicious cases of alcohol poisoning being investigated. Officials say an autopsy of a resident of Cuenca has been completed and fluid tests found the presence of […]

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Ecuador: Alcohol Prohibition Continues for 72 Hours in Los Rios

According to ElComercio.com the Ecuadorian government is extending the ‘Dry Law’ in the province of Los Rios. Officials say the law will be extended for an additional 72 hours, until Saturday, in the province where 20 people have died from altered liquor. Health authorities in Guayas province confirmed that another fatality occurred in the province […]

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Ecuador: 25 People Dead From Altered Alcohol

ElUniverso.com reports the Minister of Public Health announced on Tuesday, July 19th 25 people are dead from drinking altered alcohol, containing methanol in Ecuador. The vice-Minister of Health says the one of the latest deaths occurred in Milagro. He adds that blood tests are being administered to determine the amount of methanol in each person. […]

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Major Vaccination and Immunization Campaign in Colombia

•A major vaccination and immunization campaign will occur in 22 departments affected by the winter conditions in Colombia in the next 3 months. •Eluniversal.com.co reports that the effort will attempt to vaccinate 223,600 individuals for free. •One focus will be vaccinating children under six years old against diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, rotavirus as well […]

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Mexico: IMSS Warns Population to Prevent Spread of Dengue

The Tabasco branch of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) issued a health warning to the population to pay special attention to dengue symptoms this rainy season, Milenio reports. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, bloody nose, vomiting and diarrhea. There are two types of dengue – classic and hemorraghic. The hemorraghic causes internal […]

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Otavalo, Ecuador: Police Confiscate 4,000 Liters of Rum

According to ElComercio.com Imbabura police confiscated 4,000 liters of rum in Otavalo on Monday, July 18th. National Police Commissioner Marianita Montalvo confirmed the report. The head of Imbabura police, Danilo Espinosa says operations of control will take place throughout the province for liquor sales that are not authorized. An owner of a liquor store where […]

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Mexico: Breast Cancer Mortality Rate Declines over Past Four Years

Between 2005 and 2009, the mortality rate for breast cancer decreased from 17.9 to 10.8 deaths for every 100,000 women ages 25 and older, El Sol de Mexico reports. The mortality rate for cervical-uterine cancer has also gone down, from 17.8 to 9.1 deaths per 100,000, according to the National Institute for Statistics and Geography […]

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Ecuador: Health Officials Offer Two Hypotheses for Alcohol Contamination

According to ElUniverso.com the meeting of Ecuadorian heath officials over the past weekend ended with two hypotheses concerning the altered alcohol that has cause 24 deaths in Ecuador. The first hypothesis is that the person who is responsible for making the alcohol is badly educated on how alcohol is made. The second is that the […]

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Ecuador: Wine Company Closed in Tungurahua Due to Methanol Contamination

According to ElComercio.com the Police Commissioner of Tungurahua, Ivan Rios, confirmed that a wine company was closed after primary analysis confirmed that the alcohol contained methanol. The closure comes after the wife of a contaminated alcohol victim confirmed that her husband had fallen ill after consuming wine from this establishment. In a Twitter message, the […]

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ALERT: Ecuadorian Health Ministry Bans Consumption of Alcohol, 72 Hours

According to ElComercio.com the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health issued a Dry Law, no alcohol consumption, for 72 hours via Twitter. The Ministry issued the decree at 6 p.m. on Sunday July 17th, effective for the entire country. The Ministry says the time-period allows for investigators to inspect alcohol for suspected contamination. Authorities say 21 people […]

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Peru: 25% of Pharmacies and Drug Stores Sell Psychotropic Drugs Without Prescription

According to Minda.gob.pe 25% of Peruvian pharmacies and drug stores sell drugs such as anti-depressants, sedatives, narcotics and other psychotropic drugs without prescriptions. The General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs (Digemid) says that the official sales of these drugs are controlled, however the officials stress that these drugs can cause serious health problems, dependency […]

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Ambato, Ecuador: Rains, River Flooding Cause Suspension of Water Services

According to ElUniverso.com torrential rains are causing problems for certain sectors of Ambato. Officials say that in some areas drinking water began to turn brown from mud run-off and in other sectors water service had to be suspended. In the sectors of Ingahurco, La Merced, part of Fico and barrios located on high-land had their […]

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Guayaquil, Ecuador: Police Raid Storage Area, Find Stolen Medical Drugs

According to Cre.com.ec police and Guayas Prosecutor’s Office raided a sector of the Guayaquil bay on June 3rd, encountering a large amount of false and stolen medicines. Police say they also found large amounts of packaging, brochures, and altered labels for the medicines. The prosecutor Francisco Bodero says that the quantity of drugs were worth […]

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Mendoza, Argentina: Government Will Not Release Information on Flu Cases

According to LaVoz.com.ar the government of Mendoza will not report on the number of flu cases in their province. The Secretary of Health in Mendoza, Enrique Quesada confirmed the government’s decision on July 1st. Quesada says people should be more concerned with prevention and sanitary care than numbers of people who have fallen ill. Quesada […]

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Ambato, Ecuador: Areas Without Water For 4 Days, Ends Friday

According to ElComercio.com thousands of residents in eight parishes and villages located in the northwest of Ambato have been without drinking water since the night of Tuesday July 5th. The Private Municipal Enterprise for Water and Sewage in Ambato (EP EMAPA) has suspended operation while technicians waterproof reservoir tanks located in Atahualpa and Unamuncho. The […]

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Mexico: Health Alert for Dengue

W Radio reports: • Department of Heath expects an increase in cases of dengue in coming months • 1850 cases of dengue have already been reported this year; 5 deaths have been recorded • More than 8000 cases were reported last year; health officials state that more cases are always reported in the second half […]

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Quito, Ecuador: Shortage of Antiretroviral Drugs

ElComercio.com reports that there is a shortage of HIV-AID drugs in Ecuador. Health officials report that prescriptions of antiretroviral drugs such as Lamivudine, Abacavir and Kaletra are not being filled at special pharmacies that are supposed to carry these expensive drugs. Non-governmental organizations report that 10% of the 1,000 members of the organization Caminos de […]

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Peru, Increased Cold, More Deaths Due to Pneumonia

According to Peru21.pe pneumonia and respiratory infection cases are on the rise for young children in Peru. Unlike previous years, the jungle regions are more affected than the south. The director of epidemiology for the Ministry of Health says that in Loreto 22 deaths of children under the age of five were recorded in 2011. […]

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Argentina, Suicide research in Córdoba to improve prevention

The Ricardo Núñez Research Center has released data from an unpublished study focussing on suicide in Argentina, specifically in the province of Córdoba, that the Department of Health hopes will lead to improved suicide prevention programs in the country, according to lavoz.com.ar. The issue of suicide is not one frequently discussed in Argentina, there are […]

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Mexico: Legislator Proposes Drug Tests for Students in Jalisco

Representative Abraham González Uyeda from Jalisco has proposed the creation of a law to protect the health and safety of children and adolescents, which would include mandatory drug testing, El Universal reports. The law is designed to prevent consumption of illegal drugs by middle and high school students, as well as those in college. The […]

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Mexico needs culture of organ donation, says social security doctor

Dr. José Alfonso Yamamoto Nagano, head of the Division of Organ, Tissue and Cell Donations and Transplants at the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), said Mexico need to develop a culture of organ donation, according to Grupo Fórmula. With chronic and degenerative diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and heart conditions on the rise in […]

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Mexico, health center director withholds antiretroviral medicine from 380 patients in Tampico

According to Milenio, the director of the Mexican government’s center for HIV/AIDS and STIs (CAPASITS) in Tampico, Tamaulipas has put 380 patient’s lives at risk by illegally redistributing Truvada, an antiretroviral medicine, to other health centers. A representative from a local civil society association claims to possess an audio recording of the CAPASITS director, Alfredo […]

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Clenbuteral found in 7% of sampled meat in Mexico

Of the 575 samples of beef tested last year by the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), 111 (7%) tested positive for clenbuteral. Clenbuteral is used in some medications for humans as a bronchodilator. It is considered a dangerous substance, and as such the Federal Commission for the Protection Against […]

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Mexico: Oaxaca Faces 8000-Unit Blood Deficit Yearly

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, but Oaxaca faces a donation deficit each year, according to Noticias Net. Each year, the public and private health sectors in the state receive 30,000 units of blood, but 38,000 are needed to meet international standards. This June 14, the State Center for Blood Transfusions is promoting the […]

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Cirrhosis – The Fourth Leading Cause of Death in Mexico

The Mexican Institute of National Health (IMSS) in Jalisco states that cirrhosis is now the fourth-highest cause of death in Mexico, El Universal reports, behind heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Although alcohol abuse is still the leading trigger for cirrhosis of the liver, more and more cases caused by Hepatitis C, diabetes and obesity are […]

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Deadly Disease Strikes Tzucacab, Mexico

The director of the Center for Health in Tzucacab, Mexico has reported four positive cases of Chagas disease, the Diario de Yucatán reports. The disease is transmitted by a small insect known as a “pic.” Once it bites a human, it can transmit parasites which cause Chagas disease. The disease can cause blindness, swelling of […]

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Plans for an Argentina free of trans fats by 2014

The campaign proposed this month by the National Departments of Health and Agriculture called “Argentina 2014 free of trans fats” aims to reduce the consumption of these fats that cause high blood pressure. This condition leads to hypertension and cardiovascular disease which account for 32% of all deaths in Argentina, according to saludable.infobae.com. The proposal […]

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370,000 influenza vaccines administered in Uruguay

The Department of Public Health in Uruguay has provided flu vaccines for the public and administered 370,000 so far this year. According to espectador.com, the National Director of Health, Gilbert Ríos, said this flu season has run more smoothly, in terms of vaccines, than previous years because the department has an ample amount of doses […]

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