Animal leptospirosis in Latin America and the Caribbean countries: reported outbreaks and literature review (2002-2014).

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease whose transmission is linked through multiple factors in the animal-human-ecosystem interface. The data on leptospirosis reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries/sovereign territories from 2005-2011 were mapped, showing a wide distribution of outbreaks in the region. Tropical terrestrial biomes are the predominate ecosystems showing reports of outbreaks.

[Geographic information systems as a tool for monitoring health inequalities].

Objective: To show how geographic information systems (GISs) can be used as technological tools to support health policy and public health actions.

Methods: We assessed the relationship between infant mortality and a number of socio-economic and geographic determinants. In explaining how GISs are applied, we stressed their ability to integrate data, which makes it possible to perform epidemiologic evaluations in a simpler, faster, automated way that simultaneously analyzes multiple variables with different levels of aggregation.

Mexico City physicians' awareness about cervical cancer prevention: implications for cancer screening.

Background: In spite of an early cancer detection program (CCSP), Mexico has a mortality rate for cervical cancer of 16.5 per 100,000 women.

Method: A cross-sectional study of 330 physicians at the Mexico City General Hospital evaluated their knowledge of the CCSP, etiology, diagnostic alternatives, and treatment guidelines.

Evaluation model of the Mexican national program for early cervical cancer detection and proposals for a new approach.

Introduction: An evaluation model on cervical cancer (CC) prevention in Mexico was carried out during 1990-95, using three observation units: women at risk, screening providers, and use of health services.

Methods: A diagnostic procedure of the pitfalls was applied to the following steps of the screening procedure: Pap sampling quality, cytological diagnosis validity, compliance of women, and determinants of nonparticipation.

Results: The low effectiveness of screening for CC is due principally to factors associated with quality and coverage.

[Perception of the quality of care in the health services in Mexico. perspective of the users].

Objective: To describe the quality of health services as perceived by users in Mexico, as well as an analysis of predisposing and enabling factors to the use of these services.

Material And Methods: Data were selected from the National Health Survey II of 1994. The survey contains information from 3324 ambulatory health service users who sought care in the two week period previous to the survey.

The cervical cancer screening program in Mexico: problems with access and coverage.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in two geographic regions of Mexico - Oaxaca (rural area) and Mexico City (urban area) - to determine the main factors for predicting participation in Cervical Cytology Screening Programs (CCSP), in populations with high mortality due to cervical cancer. We included 4,208 women aged between 15 and 49 years, randomly selected through a national household-sample frame. Knowledge of what the Pap test is used for strongly predisposes use of CCSP in Mexico City (odds ratio [OR] = 46.

Validity and reproducibility of cytologic diagnosis in a sample of cervical cancer screening centers in Mexico.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic precision of the cervical cytology (smear) in a sample of 16 cervical cancer screening centers (CCSCs) from the Mexican Ministry of Health and Mexican Institute for Social Security CCSCs distributed across the country.

Study Design: Each center received a batch of 90 cytologic specimens with a random positive prevalence of 1.5-36%.

Factors associated with Mexican women's familiarity with the purpose of the Pap test.

Use of health services is usually associated with a variety of factors, including the socioeconomic characteristics of the users, their familiarity with the usefulness of the services provided, and the acceptability and accessibility of those services. To study the factors associated with women's familiarity with the Pap test, a population-based study was carried out in Mexico City and two rural areas in the state of Oaxaca by means of household interviews. The sample consisted of 4208 women 15 to 49 years of age.

[The coverage of health institutions in the state of Mexico. A comparative analysis of the insured and uninsured populations].

In this paper we report on a survey aimed at comparing utilization patterns and institutional coverage of health services between insured and non-insured populations. Our results show that under fixed socioeconomic characteristics, and for the same health problems, the non-insured group had a utilization rate 1.5 times smaller than that corresponding to the insured.

[Coverage of 4 health programs for pre-school children in marginal urban areas in Mexico City].

The aim this paper was to evaluate the coverage provided by four preschool child health programs (vaccinations, oral hydration therapy, healthy child care and sick child care). To make coverage operational, we designed indicators to compare the utilization of each program with the condition or health problems considered as needed. These results are part of a broad evaluative research called "Coverage and Quality of Primary Health Care" (CQPHC) carried out by the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) in the State of Mexico in 1988.

[Potential coverage and real coverage of ambulatory health care services in the state of Mexico. The case of 3 marginal communities in Atenco and Chalco].

Less than a third of the non-insured population studied through a sample in the State of Mexico was covered by the Institute of Health of the State of México. This low coverage was observed in spite the fact that health services were available within 2 kilometer radius. 33 per cent of the non-insured preferred to utilize other services within their own community, and 24 per cent of them traveled to bigger localities to receive care.