|
Geographical Locations - Colombia
 The WWW Virtual Library: Public Health
Categories
Country Information
- (Statistical) Number of Inhabitants per Doctor: 1,061
- CIA - World Factbook: Colombia
Organisations and Networks
UN and Multinational
Government
Non-Government
- Colombian Red Cross
- Salud Colombia - provides access to comprehensive information on the Colombian health care system including universities and NGOs active in the field
Academic Institutions
National Policy and Related Documents
Reports, Guidelines, and Projects
- Appropriate prenatal care system: the best way to prevent preeclampsia in Andean countries
The main cause of maternal mortality in Colombia is preeclampsia; even though it is a major public health problem its etiology and physiopathology remain unknown. However it is believed that endothelial dysfunction plays a central role in the development of this disease. Many clinical trials have been carried out to demonstrate the effect of certain interventions to prevent preeclampsia and improve pregnancy outcomes. Our hypothesis is that the reduction of preeclampsia risk could be achieved through an appropriate health system that would provide an opportune and effective prenatal care to pregnant women allowing early diagnosis and treatment of frequent nutritional and health related problems. [author abstract] [Colombia Médica Vol. 40 Nº 2, 2009 (April-June)]
- Colombia: Internal Displacement - Policies and Problems
This report by Natalia Springer and commissioned by the UNHCR describes the recent events and developments in Colombia's armed conflict and its effects on displacement trends and human rights violations of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Special importance is given to the situation of property rights of Colombian IDPs.
- Colombia: The women's antenatal care initiative for reduction of HIV mother-to-child transmission
"In Colombia, the ‘feminization’ of the epidemic is occurring gradually, and in some regions this has been evident for several years. A progressive pattern change is observed, from homosexual transmission to heterosexual transmission, particularly in the Caribbean region where new infections in young women have been increasing. The national prevalence of infection among the general population aged 15 to 49 is estimated at 0.7%, which indicates that currently, around 58,000 women of fertile age are infected. The growing number of infections in women of fertile age has meant a progressive increase in cases of HIV infected infants. The first case of mother-to-child transmission in Colombia was reported in 1987; latest numbers (December 2005) reports 1,268 cases of prenatal transmission, with a sustained increase since 1995." [UNAIDS in action, 06, 2006]
- Dental education in Colombia
This article describes Colombia’s development of formal dentistry, its dental school system, curriculum, and dental licensure, and current issues in oral health care. In 1969, there were only 4 dental schools in Colombia; at this writing there are 21. Five dental schools are public and the other 16 are private. Nearly all classes are conducted in Spanish. Undergraduate pre-dental coursework is not a prerequisite for dental school in Colombia. To obtain licensure, Colombian dental students must complete 5 years of study in dental school, earn a diploma, and work for the government for 1 year. There are approximately 41,400 dentists in Colombia, and the number is increasing quickly. However, the unemployment rate among dentists is very high, even though graduation from dental school is extremely difficult. Although the 1,100:1 ratio of citizens to dentists is considered satisfactory, access to dental care is limited due to the high rate of poverty. [author abstract] [Journal of Oral Science, Vol. 52, No. 1, 137-143, 2010]
- Effects of Public Health Insurance on Newborn Health in Colombia
Colombia's rapid expansion of health insurance coverage in the 1990s provides an opportunity to evaluate whether health insurance coverage positively affects health care usage and outcomes. We use the discontinuity in eligibility for the Subsidized Regime (SR), the public health insurance for the poor, to see if the Subsidized Regime increased the incidence of doctor assisted births, prenatal care, and hospital deliveries; and if it improved newborn health measured by birth weight, gestation period, Apgar score and incidence of low (lbw) and very low birth weight (vlbw). We find that the Subsidized Regime had positive effects on newborn birth weight, but although positive, not consistently significant effects on other health measures or access to medical personnel and facilities. [author abstract] [Paper presented at NEUDC 2008: Northeastern Universities Development Consortium Conference, 8 November – 9 November 2008, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts]
- Evaluating the impact of health care reform in Colombia: from theory to practice
This article presents an evaluation of an ambitious health reform implemented in Colombia during the first half of the nineties. The reform attempted to radically change public provision of health services, by means of the transformation of subsidies to supply (direct transfers to hospitals) into a new scheme of subsidies to demand (transfers targeted at the poorest citizens). Although the percentage of the population having medical care insurance has notably increased, mostly among the poorest, problems of implementation have been numerous. It has not been possible to achieve the transformation of subsidies to supply into subsidies to demand. At the same time, competition has not made it possible to increase the efficiency of many public hospitals, which continue to operate with very low occupation rates, while receiving hefty money transfers. Subsidies increased demand for medical consultations, but have curbed demand for hospitalizations. Nonetheless, subsidies might have adversely affected female’s labor market participation and even household consumption. As a whole, evidence suggests that the health reform has been effective in rationalizing households’ demand for health, but not in rationalizing public supply, and neither in increasing the efficiency of service providers. [publication abstract] [Documento CEDE 2006-06]
- Giardiasis in children living in post-earthquake camps from Armenia (Colombia)
Background: An earthquake in the coffee growing region of Colombia on January 25, 1999 destroyed 70% of the houses in Armenia city. Transitory housing camps still remained until two years after the disaster. Parasitological studies found that, in this population, giardiasis was the most frequent parasitic infection. This study was carried out in order to determine the epidemiological risk factors associated with this high prevalence. Methods: Fecal samples were obtained from 217 children aged between 3 and 13 years. Stool samples were studied by direct wet examination and stained with ferric hematoxilin for microscopical examination. Epidemiological data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by using the Epi-info software (CDC, Atlanta 2001). Results: Giardia cysts were observed in 60.4% of the samples presented and trophozoites in 4.6%. The following epidemiological and laboratory factors were significantly associated with Giardia infection: 1. Use of communal toilet (vs. individual toilet) OR: 3.9, CI95%: 1.2–16; 2. water provision by municipal ducts (vs. water provision by individual tanks) OR: 3.5, CI95% 1.1–14, and 3. presence of mucus in stool OR: 2.3, IC95%: 0.9–6.7. Conclusions: A high prevalence of giardiasis was found in children living in temporary houses after the 1999 earthquake in Armenia (Colombia). Giardiasis is an emerging disease in post-disaster situations and adequate prevention measures should be implemented during these circumstances. [author abstract] [BMC Public Health 2002, 2:5]
- Health in the Americas 2007: Colombia
As a health agency, the Pan American Health Organization’s core discipline is epidemiology, which enables the measurement, definition, and comparison of health problems and conditions and their distribution from the perspectives of population, geography, and time. This publication on Colombia addresses the issue of health as a human right, taking into account both the individual and community contexts, and examines various critical determinants of health, including those of a biological, social, cultural, economic, and political nature. That examination reveals the existence of gaps, disparities, and inequities that persist in Colombia, especially those related to access to basic services, health, nutrition, housing, and adequate living conditions as well as to the lack of opportunities for human development—all of which contribute to the greater vulnerability to diseases and health risks of some population groups. [Adapted from the preface of Health in the Americas 2007]
- Social Security Reforms in Colombia: Striking Demographic and Fiscal Balances
This paper analyzes the economic rationale for adopting parametric pension reforms and reforms broadening the coverage of public health care in Colombia during 1993–2008. Parametric pension reforms have focused on increasing the retirement age and moderating replacement rates. The health system reforms aimed at reaching universal coverage by 2012, while providing a more homogenous level of services. Our results indicate that the Net Present Value of the debt of the social security system in Colombia is roughly 160 percent of GDP for pensions and about 97 percent of GDP for the health system. [author abstract] [IMF Working Paper WP/09/58, March 2009]
- The Effects of Education on Fertility in Colombia and Peru: Implications for Health and Family Planning Policies
Previous studies have found that education and fertility are inversely related. However, the extant literature on the effects of education in Latin America has been limited by certain methodological problems. In particular, previous studies have used estimation methods that were prone to statistical bias, and they have frequently neglected to examine rural areas, where education is likely to have a large effect on fertility. In this paper, we attempt to improve upon our understanding of education and fertility in the region. Employing data from some of the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in Latin America, we test complementary hypotheses about the effects of education on fertility in Colombia and Peru. The effects of the independent variables are estimated using negative binomial regression. We also discuss the broader implications of the findings for family planning policies and regional public health governance in Latin America. [author abstract] [Global Health Governance, volume I, no. 2 (Fall 2007)]
- The establishment of injury surveillance systems in Colombia, El Salvador, and Nicaragua (2000–2006)
"An estimated 5.2 million people worldwide died from injuries in 2002 — a mortality rate of 83 per 100 000 population. Injuries accounted for 9% of the world’s deaths in 2002 and 12% of the world’s burden of disease. More than 90% of deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Consequently, injuries are a major public health problem throughout the world and represent a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Research and surveillance of the frequency, mechanisms, and outcomes of injuries in the developing world remains largely neglected. Injury surveillance is useful for identifying high-risk groups and behaviors and assessing intervention effectiveness. Although some research has been published on injury surveillance systems in developing countries, significant gaps exist concerning the establishment and maintenance of such programs7. Some injury surveillance systems in developing countries have relied on mortuary statistics as their data source. These systems fail to capture the disproportionate number of non-fatal injuries that occur. The aim of this article is to describe key lessons learned in establishing an emergency department (ED)–based injury surveillance system in resource-poor settings." [Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2008; 24(6): 379–389]
- The public health context of violence in Colombia
Objective: Among the countries of the Americas, Colombia has the highest level of deaths due to homicides and armed conflict. The objective of this research was to combine and contrast information from various sources on deaths due to violence in Colombia in order to identify major trends in violence in the country and to compare those trends with those in other nations of the Americas. Methods: We drew together information from a wide array of sources, including the Government of Colombia, Colombian forensic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and international research centers. We considered the impact of the violence on mortality as well as in such areas as nonfatal injuries, displacement of persons, and kidnappings. Results: While there have been many deaths in Colombia directly related to military conflict, there have been many more deaths and injuries as an indirect result of war. The highest levels of deaths directly related to violence occurred during the 1990–1995 period. Although deaths due directly to armed conflict declined in the late 1990s, the related events of kidnappings and displacement did not. Conclusions: Efforts to reduce the violence-related suffering in Colombia must consider both direct and indirect causes of mortality as well as nonfatal outcomes such as kidnappings and displacement. [author abstract] [Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2004; 16(4): 266–71]
Educational Resources
Original website founded Lucien E. Schlosser and Eberhard Wenzel, 1997.
© Copyright for the The WWW Virtual Library and its logos by The WWW Virtual Library.
|
See Also
|
|