[Strengthening regional governance and the health care network in small municipalities in BrazilFortalecimiento de la gobernanza regional y de la red de atención de salud en municipios pequeños de Brasil].

In Brazil, 67.7% of the municipalities are characterized as small, with a population of less than 20 thousand. The objective of this article is to systematize the experience and identify the challenges and lessons learned in the implementation of the model for strengthening regional governance and organizing the health care network (HCN) in a region of Brazil composed of these municipalities, which present low technical and budgetary capacity, in addition to various fragilities related to the organization of the HCN.

Guidelines for the documentation and verification of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome elimination in the region of the Americas.

In the region of the Americas, goals for the elimination of endemic measles and rubella/congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by the year 2000 and 2010, respectively were established. The successful implementation of measles elimination strategies in the region of the Americas resulted in the interruption of endemic measles transmission in 2002 and tremendous progress toward rubella and CRS elimination. In October 2007, the 27th Pan American Sanitary Conference adopted Resolution CSP27.

Elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome in the Americas.

In 2003, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) adopted a resolution calling for rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) elimination in the Americas by the year 2010. To accomplish this goal, PAHO advanced a rubella and CRS elimination strategy including introduction of rubella-containing vaccines into routine vaccination programs accompanied by high immunization coverage, interruption of rubella transmission through mass vaccination of adolescents and adults, and strengthened surveillance for rubella and CRS. The rubella elimination strategies were aligned with the successful measles elimination strategies.