Resumo em Inglês:

Every year in the Americas close to 257 000 children under 5 years of age die from illnesses that are preventable or easily treated. These deaths are mainly caused by acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, malaria, measles, and malnutrition. The "integrated management of childhood disease" strategy was designed by WHO and UNICEF as a methodology to be applied by basic health services in an effort to solve this important problem. The strategy includes case identification, classification, and management, and can be adapted to health care standards in each country. Its main objectives are lowering mortality rates and morbidity caused by prevalent childhood diseases as well as improving the quality of service. According to the World Development Report 1993: Investing in Health, published by the World Bank, this strategy is the most efficient health intervention in terms of its impact on the population's burden of death and disease, as well as its cost-effectiveness.

Resumo em Inglês:

This article is based on "Salud, ambiente y desarrollo humano sostenible: el caso de México," a document prepared in June 1997 by the Comité Técnico Nacional para el Desarrollo Sostenible. It opens with information regarding the epidemiologic and demographic changes that have taken place in Mexico, such as the decrease in communicable diseases, the rise in noncommunicable diseases, and the less conspicuous increase in lesions resulting from accidents or acts of violence. This is followed by a discussion of priority problems and problems of lesser magnitude in environmental health, specifically those relating to water and air quality, as well as disposal of household and dangerous wastes. Finally, it proposes three areas of intervention in light of the structural problems detected: the absence of an integrated information system covering the area of health, environment, and development; the absence of channels of communication within and between institutions and sectors, and the lack of coordination in planning and implementing programs and actions in this field.

Resumo em Inglês:

The concept of reproductive health has changed throughout the years until it has come to be understood as a constant that goes beyond biological concerns and is related to the values, culture, and personal fulfillment of each human being. It encompasses, therefore, a wide range of action in individual and family life as well as in the collective development of populations. Promoting and maintaining reproductive health requires quality services with equitable access. PAHO has cooperated in this field with Member States for over 30 years, during which maternal and child mortality has diminished, the notion of integral adolescent health has been disseminated, the subject has been added to professional health curriculums, pertinent activities have been integrated into the health services, and new data have been gathered to inform policies and activities on reproductive health. The present situation of national health sector reforms presents a unique opportunity for approaching anew old problems related to reproductive health, to examine policies and strategies, and to implement changes that reaffirm the commitments made in international forums.