[Core competencies for public health teaching: regional framework for the AmericasCompetências essenciais para a docência em saúde pública: um marco regional para as Américas]. / Competencias esenciales para la docencia en salud pública: marco regional para las Américas.

Objective: To present the Regional Core Competency Framework for Public Health (RCCFPH) and the methodology used for its development. Methods: A participatory methodology was used for this descriptive study, using techniques such as questionnaires, discussions, pair work, extreme cases, jigsaw, data evaluation matrices, iterative reviews, and comparative analyses. The study was carried out over nine stages, bringing together experts from public health institutions and schools, as well as primary health care professionals in the Americas. Results: The primary result is the RCCFPH, which is organized around 10 competency domains, all favoring comprehensive teaching. The primary focus is on the disciplinary domain, along with the educational domain. The remaining domains are common to the teaching of any discipline, but each competence was formulated for use within the field of public health, which is what differentiates this framework from others. It is proposed as a regional tool for use from multiple perspectives. Conclusion: The domains and competencies encourage a new perspective on comprehensive teacher training in public health. The RCCFPH can be used as a tool to assess teaching skills and improve the quality of teaching in the Region. It can foster cooperation among educational institutions and is proposed as a facilitator for a Latin American community of practice to address new challenges in public health.

Objetivo: Apresentar o Marco Regional de Competências Docentes em Saúde Pública (MRCDSP) e a metodologia utilizada em sua elaboração. Métodos: Este estudo descritivo empregou uma abordagem participativa, combinando técnicas como inquéritos por questionários, debates, método de pareamento, casos extremos, método jigsaw (quebra-cabeças), matriz de avaliação de dados, revisões iterativas e análise comparativa. O processo foi desenvolvido em nove etapas e reuniu especialistas ligados a instituições e escolas de saúde pública, juntamente com profissionais de atenção primária à saúde nas Américas. Resultados: O resultado principal é o MRCDSP, organizado em torno de 10 domínios cuja interseção promove uma abordagem integral para a docência. É dado um papel de destaque ao domínio disciplinar, e o domínio pedagógico atua como coprotagonista. Os demais domínios são transversais ao ensino de qualquer disciplina, mas a redação de cada competência foi complementada com finalidades situadas no campo da saúde pública, o que diferencia este marco de outros semelhantes. O marco é apresentado como uma ferramenta regional a ser utilizada a partir de múltiplas perspectivas. Conclusão: Os domínios e competências promovem uma nova perspectiva sobre a formação integral de docentes em saúde pública. O MRCDSP pode se tornar uma ferramenta para avaliar as capacidades e melhorar a qualidade do ensino na região. É proposto como um elemento para fomentar a cooperação entre instituições educacionais e a formação de uma comunidade de prática latino-americana, com o objetivo de enfrentar os novos desafios em saúde pública.

Competencias esenciales para la docencia en salud pública: marco regional para las Américas / Core competencies for public health teaching: regional framework for the Americas / Competências essenciais para a docência em saúde pública: um marco regional para as Américas

[RESUMEN]. Objetivo. Presentar el Marco Regional de Competencias Docentes en Salud Pública (MRCDSP) y la metodología utilizada para su construcción. Métodos. Se utilizó una metodología participativa para este estudio descriptivo, donde se combinaron técnicas como la encuesta por cuestionario, el debate, el método de pares, los casos extremos, el rompecabezas (jigsaw), la matriz de evaluación de datos, las revisiones iterativas y el análisis comparativo. Se desarrolló en nueve etapas y agrupó a expertos asociados a instituciones y escuelas de salud pública, junto a profesionales de la atención primaria de salud en las Américas. Resultados. El principal resultado es el MRCDSP, organizado alrededor de 10 dominios cuya intersección favorece la integralidad docente. Se le asigna centralidad al dominio disciplinar y, como coprotagonista, al dominio pedagógico. Los restantes dominios son transversales a la docencia de cualquier disciplina, pero la redacción de cada competencia se complementó con las finalidades situadas en el campo de la salud pública, hecho que diferencia este marco de otros. Se ofrece como una herramienta regional para utilizar desde múltiples perspectivas. Conclusión. Los dominios y las competencias promueven una perspectiva nueva sobre la formación integral docente en salud pública. El MRCDSP puede convertirse en una herramienta para evaluar capacidades y mejorar la calidad de la enseñanza en la Región. Puede fomentar la cooperación entre instituciones educativas y se propone que sea el promotor de una comunidad de práctica latinoamericana para abordar los desafíos nuevos en salud pública.

[ABSTRACT]. Objective. To present the Regional Core Competency Framework for Public Health (RCCFPH) and the methodology used for its development. Methods. A participatory methodology was used for this descriptive study, using techniques such as questionnaires, discussions, pair work, extreme cases, jigsaw, data evaluation matrices, iterative reviews, and comparative analyses. The study was carried out over nine stages, bringing together experts from public health institutions and schools, as well as primary health care professionals in the Americas. Results. The primary result is the RCCFPH, which is organized around 10 competency domains, all favoring comprehensive teaching. The primary focus is on the disciplinary domain, along with the educational domain. The remaining domains are common to the teaching of any discipline, but each competence was formulated for use within the field of public health, which is what differentiates this framework from others. It is proposed as a regional tool for use from multiple perspectives. Conclusion. The domains and competencies encourage a new perspective on comprehensive teacher training in public health. The RCCFPH can be used as a tool to assess teaching skills and improve the quality of teaching in the Region. It can foster cooperation among educational institutions and is proposed as a facilitator for a Latin American community of practice to address new challenges in public health.

[RESUMO]. Objetivo. Apresentar o Marco Regional de Competências Docentes em Saúde Pública (MRCDSP) e a metodologia utilizada em sua elaboração. Métodos. Este estudo descritivo empregou uma abordagem participativa, combinando técnicas como inquéritos por questionários, debates, método de pareamento, casos extremos, método jigsaw (quebra-cabeças), matriz de avaliação de dados, revisões iterativas e análise comparativa. O processo foi desenvolvido em nove etapas e reuniu especialistas ligados a instituições e escolas de saúde pública, juntamente com profissionais de atenção primária à saúde nas Américas. Resultados. O resultado principal é o MRCDSP, organizado em torno de 10 domínios cuja interseção pro- move uma abordagem integral para a docência. É dado um papel de destaque ao domínio disciplinar, e o domínio pedagógico atua como coprotagonista. Os demais domínios são transversais ao ensino de qualquer disciplina, mas a redação de cada competência foi complementada com finalidades situadas no campo da saúde pública, o que diferencia este marco de outros semelhantes. O marco é apresentado como uma ferramenta regional a ser utilizada a partir de múltiplas perspectivas. Conclusão. Os domínios e competências promovem uma nova perspectiva sobre a formação integral de docentes em saúde pública. O MRCDSP pode se tornar uma ferramenta para avaliar as capacidades e melhorar a qualidade do ensino na região. É proposto como um elemento para fomentar a cooperação entre instituições educacionais e a formação de uma comunidade de prática latino-americana, com o objetivo de enfrentar os novos desafios em saúde pública.

Competencias esenciales para la docencia en salud pública: marco regional para las Américas / Core competencies for public health teaching: regional framework for the Americas / Competências essenciais para a docência em saúde pública: um marco regional para as Américas

RESUMEN Objetivo. Presentar el Marco Regional de Competencias Docentes en Salud Pública (MRCDSP) y la metodología utilizada para su construcción. Métodos. Se utilizó una metodología participativa para este estudio descriptivo, donde se combinaron técnicas como la encuesta por cuestionario, el debate, el método de pares, los casos extremos, el rompecabezas (jigsaw), la matriz de evaluación de datos, las revisiones iterativas y el análisis comparativo. Se desarrolló en nueve etapas y agrupó a expertos asociados a instituciones y escuelas de salud pública, junto a profesionales de la atención primaria de salud en las Américas. Resultados. El principal resultado es el MRCDSP, organizado alrededor de 10 dominios cuya intersección favorece la integralidad docente. Se le asigna centralidad al dominio disciplinar y, como coprotagonista, al dominio pedagógico. Los restantes dominios son transversales a la docencia de cualquier disciplina, pero la redacción de cada competencia se complementó con las finalidades situadas en el campo de la salud pública, hecho que diferencia este marco de otros. Se ofrece como una herramienta regional para utilizar desde múltiples perspectivas. Conclusión. Los dominios y las competencias promueven una perspectiva nueva sobre la formación integral docente en salud pública. El MRCDSP puede convertirse en una herramienta para evaluar capacidades y mejorar la calidad de la enseñanza en la Región. Puede fomentar la cooperación entre instituciones educativas y se propone que sea el promotor de una comunidad de práctica latinoamericana para abordar los desafíos nuevos en salud pública.

ABSTRACT Objective. To present the Regional Core Competency Framework for Public Health (RCCFPH) and the methodology used for its development. Methods. A participatory methodology was used for this descriptive study, using techniques such as questionnaires, discussions, pair work, extreme cases, jigsaw, data evaluation matrices, iterative reviews, and comparative analyses. The study was carried out over nine stages, bringing together experts from public health institutions and schools, as well as primary health care professionals in the Americas. Results. The primary result is the RCCFPH, which is organized around 10 competency domains, all favoring comprehensive teaching. The primary focus is on the disciplinary domain, along with the educational domain. The remaining domains are common to the teaching of any discipline, but each competence was formulated for use within the field of public health, which is what differentiates this framework from others. It is proposed as a regional tool for use from multiple perspectives. Conclusion. The domains and competencies encourage a new perspective on comprehensive teacher training in public health. The RCCFPH can be used as a tool to assess teaching skills and improve the quality of teaching in the Region. It can foster cooperation among educational institutions and is proposed as a facilitator for a Latin American community of practice to address new challenges in public health.

RESUMO Objetivo. Apresentar o Marco Regional de Competências Docentes em Saúde Pública (MRCDSP) e a metodologia utilizada em sua elaboração. Métodos. Este estudo descritivo empregou uma abordagem participativa, combinando técnicas como inquéritos por questionários, debates, método de pareamento, casos extremos, método jigsaw (quebra-cabeças), matriz de avaliação de dados, revisões iterativas e análise comparativa. O processo foi desenvolvido em nove etapas e reuniu especialistas ligados a instituições e escolas de saúde pública, juntamente com profissionais de atenção primária à saúde nas Américas. Resultados. O resultado principal é o MRCDSP, organizado em torno de 10 domínios cuja interseção promove uma abordagem integral para a docência. É dado um papel de destaque ao domínio disciplinar, e o domínio pedagógico atua como coprotagonista. Os demais domínios são transversais ao ensino de qualquer disciplina, mas a redação de cada competência foi complementada com finalidades situadas no campo da saúde pública, o que diferencia este marco de outros semelhantes. O marco é apresentado como uma ferramenta regional a ser utilizada a partir de múltiplas perspectivas. Conclusão. Os domínios e competências promovem uma nova perspectiva sobre a formação integral de docentes em saúde pública. O MRCDSP pode se tornar uma ferramenta para avaliar as capacidades e melhorar a qualidade do ensino na região. É proposto como um elemento para fomentar a cooperação entre instituições educacionais e a formação de uma comunidade de prática latino-americana, com o objetivo de enfrentar os novos desafios em saúde pública.

Plataforma CLIMSS como herramienta de alfabetización en salud durante la crisis sanitaria de Covid-19.

OBJETIVO: Describir a la plataforma Cursos en Línea Masivos del IMSS (CLIMSS) como herramienta de alfabetización en salud, a través de la evaluación de la eficiencia terminal, la ganancia de competencias y satisfacción de los usuarios de cursos en línea masivos en el tema de Covid-19. Material y métodos. Se analizaron datos de 20 cursos ofertados entre marzo y octubre de 2020. Se evaluaron las calificaciones pre y pos, el número total de registros, el total de cursos terminados y la satisfacción del usuario. RESULTADOS: Se registraron un total de 4.9 millones de usuarios y 10 millo-nes de inscripciones, en todos los estados de la República mexicana, con una eficiencia terminal de 85%, una ganancia de competencias de 30% y una satisfacción de 9.34 (10). CONCLUSIONES: La plataforma CLIMSS ha mostrado ser una herramienta para la alfabetización en salud con un alcance de millones de mexicanos en temas relacionados con la crisis sanitaria Covid-19.

Plataforma CLIMSS como herramienta de alfabetización en salud durante la crisis sanitaria de Covid-19 / CLIMSS online platform as a health literacy tool during the health crisis of Covid-19

Resumen: Objetivo: Describir a la plataforma Cursos en Línea Masivos del IMSS (CLIMSS) como herramienta de alfabetización en salud, a través de la evaluación de la eficiencia terminal, la ganancia de competencias y satisfacción de los usuarios de cursos en línea masivos en el tema de Covid-19. Material y métodos: Se analizaron datos de 20 cursos ofertados entre marzo y octubre de 2020. Se evaluaron las calificaciones pre y pos, el número total de registros, el total de cursos terminados y la satisfacción del usuario. Resultados: Se registraron un total de 4.9 millones de usuarios y 10 millones de inscripciones, en todos los estados de la República mexicana, con una eficiencia terminal de 85%, una ganancia de competencias de 30% y una satisfacción de 9.34 (10). Conclusiones: La plataforma CLIMSS ha mostrado ser una herramienta para la alfabetización en salud con un alcance de millones de mexicanos en temas relacionados con la crisis sanitaria Covid-19.

Abstract: Objective: To describe the Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) or Cursos en Línea Masivos del IMSS (CLIMSS) platform as a health literacy tool by evaluating the terminal efficiency, the competence gains, and the users' satisfaction of the massive online courses offered by the Mexican Institute of Social Security, on Covid- 19. Materials and methods: Data from 20 courses offered between March and October 2020 were analyzed. We evaluated scores from the pre and post-tests, the total number of registries, total courses completed, and users' satisfaction. Results: We registered a total of 4.9 million users and 10 million registrations, in all Mexican states, with a terminal efficiency of 85%, a competence gain of 30%, and a users' satisfaction of 9.34 (10). Conclusions: The CLIMSS platform has proven to be a tool for health literacy reaching millions of Mexicans on Covid-19 related topics.

Clinical course and seroprevalence of COVID-19 in children with rheumatic diseases-cross-sectional study from a reference centre in Spain.

SARS-CoV-2 infections in children are frequently asymptomatic or mild and can go unnoticed. This study aimed to describe the seroprevalence and clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of children with rheumatic diseases in a real-life setting and assess possible risk factors. A cross-sectional study was performed in a paediatric rheumatology unit (September 2020 to February 2021). At inclusion, a specific questionnaire was completed and SARS-CoV-2 serology was performed. Demographics, treatment and disease activity of patients with and without laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were compared. A total of 105 children were included. SARS-CoV-2 infection was demonstrated in 27 patients (25.7%). The mean age was 11.8 years, and most patients were females (72.4%). The most frequent underlying condition was juvenile idiopathic arthritis (70.3%; 19/27). Patients received immunosuppressive treatment in 78% of cases (21/27). Overall, 44.4% (12/27) of infected patients were asymptomatic. A total of 66.7% (18/27) of patients did not require medical assistance. Three patients required hospital admission because of COVID-19. Children with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were less frequently in remission (52% vs 72%; p 0.014). Moderate disease activity and treatment with oral corticosteroids were associated with higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 (OR 5.05; CI 95%: 1.56-16.3 and OR 4.2; CI 95%: 1.26-13.9, respectively). In a cohort of Spanish paediatric patients with rheumatic diseases, clinical course of COVID-19 was mild, with more than one third of asymptomatic cases. Higher disease activity and oral corticosteroids appear to be risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Key Points • We aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a cohort of Spanish paediatric patients with RD, testing both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. We also compared treatment and disease activity of patients with and without laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. • In our cohort of 105 paediatric patients with rheumatic diseases, the clinical course of COVID-19 was mild and 44% of cases were asymptomatic. Three cases required hospital admission with no complications. Seroprevalence was 20%. • No association was found between disease activity or treatment with corticosteroids and symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. Higher disease activity and treatment with oral corticosteroids appeared to be risk factors for laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Centennial of the School of Public Health of Mexico. Leadership, tradition and competitive advantage.

Not available.

The future of public health education: the post Covid-19 era.

The Covid-19 pandemic revealed once again the unsustainable social inequities that resulted in a disproportionate number of illnesses and deaths among different social groups. Public health must take its leading role in public policy to advance the social determinants that affect the health and well-being of populations. Public policy and the workforce must continue to prioritize population's wellbeing and health equity by challenging the status quo. Thus, it is a pressing necessity to evolve and transform public health education by developing and integrating the culture of agile change, embracing structural transformations and shifting to a lifelong learning approach. The paradigm shift in public health education should emphasize interprofessional and intersectoral approaches, the development of human and social competencies, a lifelong learning perspective and the implementation of new pedagogical and technological strategies. A holistic curricular approach which highlights the importance of public policy and the right to health and social justice should also be emphasized. This transformation must occur taking into account/considering faculty development, investment in technology, flexibility for accreditation, and collaboration with employers in various sectors. Public health education must evolve in order to remain relevant and adequately prepare and equip the leaders and practitioners that the world requires. The current crisis is an opportunity to renew and redefine public health education.

Housing as a Social Determinant of Health: Evidence from Singapore, the UK, and Kenya: the 3-D Commission.

Housing is a paradigmatic example of a social determinant of health, as it influences and is influenced by structural determinants, such as social, macroeconomic, and public policies, politics, education, income, and ethnicity/race, all intersecting to shaping the health and well-being of populations. It can therefore be argued that housing policy is critically linked to health policy. However, the extent to which this linkage is understood and addressed in public policies is limited and highly diverse across and within countries. This analysis seeks to describe the linkages between housing policies and health and well-being using examples from three countries at different levels of the wealth spectrum: Singapore, the UK, and Kenya.We conducted a comparative policy analysis across three country contexts (Singapore, the UK, and Kenya) to document the extent to which housing policies address health and well-being, highlighting commonalities and differences among them. To guide our analysis, we used the United Nations (UN) definition of adequate housing as it offers a broad framework to analyze the impact of housing on health and well-being.The anatomy of housing policies has a strong correlation to the provision of adequate housing across Singapore, the UK, and Kenya, especially for vulnerable groups. The paper demonstrates that contextual factors including population composition (i.e., aging versus youthful), political ideologies, legal frameworks (i.e., welfare versus market-based provision of housing), and presence (or absence) of adequate, quality, timely, reliable, robust data systems for decision-making, which are taken up by stakeholders/state, have strong implications of the type of housing policies developed and implemented, in turn directly and indirectly impacting the overall health and well-being of populations.This analysis demonstrates the value of viewing housing policies as public health policies that could significantly impact the health and well-being of populations, especially vulnerable groups. Moreover, the findings highlight the importance of the Health in All Policies approach to facilitate integrated policy responses to address social determinants of health such as housing. This is more critical than ever, given the context of the global pandemic that has led to worsening overall health and well-being.

Data, Social Determinants, and Better Decision-making for Health: the 3-D Commission.

More than a decade after the World Health Organization Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), it is becoming widely accepted that social and economic factors, including but not limited to education, energy, income, race, ethnicity, and housing, are important drivers of health in populations. Despite this understanding, in most contexts, social determinants are not central to local, national, or global decision-making. Greater clarity in conceptualizing social determinants, and more specificity in measuring them, can move us forward towards better incorporating social determinants in decision-making for health. In this paper, first, we summarize the evolution of the social framing of health. Second, we describe how the social determinants are conceptualized and contextualized differently at the global, national, and local levels. With this, we seek to demonstrate the importance of analyzing and understanding SDoH relative to the contexts in which they are experienced. Third, we problematize the gap in data across contexts on different dimensions of social determinants and describe data that could be curated to better understand the influence of social determinants at the local and national levels. Fourth, we describe the necessity of using data to understand social determinants and inform decision-making to improve health. Our overall goal is to provide a path for our collective understanding of the foundational causes of health, facilitated by advances in data access and quality, and realized through improved decision-making.

Training in obstetric and neonatal emergencies in Mexico: effect on knowledge and self-efficacy by gender, age, shift, and profession.

BACKGROUND: Continuing education is essential for healthcare workers. Education interventions can help to maintain and improve competency and confidence in the technical skills necessary to address adverse events. However, characteristics of the health provider such as age (related to more critical and reflexive attitude); sex (relationship with gender socialization), profession and work conditions might have an influence on the effect of continuing education efforts. METHODS: A training in the management of obstetric and neonatal emergencies (PRONTO, Spanish acronym for Neonatal and Obstetric Rescue Program: Optimal and Timely treatment) was implemented in 14 hospitals in six Mexican states between 2013 and 2014, with a before-after evaluation design. A total of 351 health providers including physicians, interns, nurses and midwives completed the training and were included in the analytic sample. Mixed-effects regression models were fitted to model changes in knowledge and self-efficacy scores after the training for each training topic. Interaction terms of training with age, gender, profession, and shift were included to evaluate possible heterogeneities of effect. All models considered the within-hospital clustering of participants. RESULTS: After training, all participants showed a significant knowledge gain by an average of 19 percentage points for hemorrhage, 23 for neonatal resuscitation, 19 for shoulder dystocia, and 15 for preeclampsia/eclampsia (p < 0.001). Participants who worked night shifts showed lower scores for overall knowledge, compared with morning shift workers. Interns perceived the lowest self-efficacy while they scored very high in knowledge. Self-efficacy in managing obstetric and neonatal emergencies increased significantly by 16 percentage points in average. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that PRONTO is generally successful in increasing knowledge and self-efficacy on all topics but knowledge and self efficacy levels vary greatly by factors such as work shift. Training should be particularly aimed at personnel working during weekends and night shifts, as well as interns and nurses.

The Public Health Leadership and Implementation Academy for Noncommunicable Diseases.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have a large burden of noncommunicable diseases and confront leadership capacity challenges and gaps in implementation of proven interventions. To address these issues, we designed the Public Health Leadership and Implementation Academy (PH-LEADER) for noncommunicable diseases. The objective of this program evaluation was to assess the quality and effectiveness of PH-LEADER. INTERVENTION APPROACH: PH-LEADER was directed at midcareer public health professionals, researchers, and government public health workers from LMICs who were involved in prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. The 1-year program focused on building implementation research and leadership capacity to address noncommunicable diseases and included 3 complementary components: a 2-month online preparation period, a 2-week summer course in the United States, and a 9-month, in-country, mentored project. EVALUATION METHODS: Four trainee groups participated from 2013 through 2016. We collected demographic information on all trainees and monitored project and program outputs. Among the 2015 and 2016 trainees, we assessed program satisfaction and pre-post program changes in leadership practices and the perceived competence of trainees for performing implementation research. RESULTS: Ninety professionals (mean age 38.8 years; 57% male) from 12 countries were trained over 4 years. Of these trainees, 50% were from India and 29% from Mexico. Trainees developed 53 projects and 9 publications. Among 2015 and 2016 trainees who completed evaluation surveys (n = 46 of 55), we saw pre-post training improvements in the frequency with which they acted as role models (Cohen's d = 0.62, P <.001), inspired a shared vision (d = 0.43, P =.005), challenged current processes (d = 0.60, P <.001), enabled others to act (d = 0.51, P =.001), and encouraged others by recognizing or celebrating their contributions and accomplishments (d = 0.49, P =.002). Through short on-site evaluation forms (scale of 1-10), trainees rated summer course sessions as useful (mean, 7.5; SD = 0.2), with very good content (mean, 8.5; SD = 0.6) and delivered by very good professors (mean, 8.6; SD = 0.6), though they highlighted areas for improvement. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: The PH-LEADER program is a promising strategy to build implementation research and leadership capacity to address noncommunicable diseases in LMICs.

Household wellbeing and health risks in Mexican households with and without migrants: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Migration between Mexico and the USA constitutes the world's largest migration corridor with more than 13 million movements of people in 2016. Furthermore, Mexico has a complex migration profile, being a country of origin, transit, destination, and return. While there has been discussion on the relationship between migration and development of origin communities, evidence on social and health issues faced by origin households is limited. This case study is a first attempt at documenting, through analyzing a national representative health survey of Mexican households (n = 9474), the relationship between international migration from Mexico and origin household health characteristics. CASE PRESENTATION: Mexican international migration moves largely (90% of migrants) toward the USA. Migration has passed from being mostly circular (from the early to late 1990s) to a permanent pattern of residence in the destination country due to changes in migration policies that have progressively restricted the irregular entrance of immigrants making re-entry more difficult.The present case study compares the socioeconomic, demographic, and health characteristics of households in Mexico with and without emigrants using data from a national representative health survey. Accordingly, in 2016, 5.8% (n = 1,802,980) of all Mexican households reported having a member living abroad.Households with members living abroad were found to more likely be headed by a female (45.8%), have Seguro Popular health insurance, and not to be among the poorest household population. In terms of health profile, a higher frequency of adults with a reported diagnosis of diabetes and/or hypertension (33.9 vs 21.7% for households with vs without emigrants, respectively; p = 0.067), and a higher severity of diabetes reflected a higher probability of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that socioeconomic, demographic, and health conditions differed between households with and without emigrants. These differences were determined as not being attributable to migration and cannot be considered as predisposing factors of migration.

A MOOC as an immediate strategy to train health personnel in the cholera outbreak in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: In September 2013, two cases of cholera were reported in Mexico; 1 week later, a new outbreak was reported in the Huasteca region of Hidalgo. Upon the determination that the diagnostic and therapeutic interventions implemented by health personnel overlooked predefined procedures, the National Institute of Public Health, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, immediately designed the massive open online course "Proper cholera containment and management measures" to strengthen and standardize basic prevention and control practices. METHODS: During the first 5 months, 35,968 participants from across the country finished the course: medical and nursing personnel, health promoters, and hospital staff. To understand the magnitude of the data, an analysis was performed to calculate the MOOC coverage, and multiple linear regression models were generated to relate the score earned in the course to the characteristics of the participants. In addition, a qualitative analysis was performed to identify the dissemination of information, technological barriers, and feedback on course design. A total of 17% of participants were from the state where the outbreak originated, and 33.5% were from its neighboring states. RESULTS: This study shows that the need for information is greater when an emergency occurs, and the involvement of the authorities increased the extent of the training response. CONCLUSION: A MOOC can be a useful training strategy to prepare personnel for emergency situations.

Design and efficacy of an Ecohealth competency-based course on the prevention and control of vector diseases in Latin America.

OBJECTIVE: To design and analyze the efficacy of an Ecohealth competency-based course on the prevention and control of vector-borne-diseases for specific stakeholders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multiple stakeholders and sectors of the region were consulted to identify Ecohealth group-specific competencies using an adjusted analysis matrix. Eight courses based on the competencies were implemented to train EA tutors. The effectiveness of the course was evaluated through the use of paired- t-tests by intervention group. RESULTS: Strategic, tactical, academia and community stakeholder groups and their competencies were identified. An overall gain of 43 percentage points (p<0.001) was observed in terms of competencies score in trained tutors, which further trained 1 033 people. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the stakeholders and their competencies proved to be useful to guide training courses to significantly improve the initial competencies and create a critical mass to further advance the EA in the region.

Design and efficacy of an Ecohealth competency-based course on the prevention and control of vector diseases in Latin America / Diseño y eficacia de un curso de Ecosalud basado en competencias para el control de enfermedades transmitidas por vector en América Latina

Abstract: Objective: To design and analyze the efficacy of an Ecohealth competency-based course on the prevention and control of vector-borne-diseases for specific stakeholders. Materials and methods: Multiple stakeholders and sectors of the region were consulted to identify Ecohealth group-specific competencies using an adjusted analysis matrix. Eight courses based on the competencies were implemented to train EA tutors. The effectiveness of the course was evaluated through the use of paired- t-tests by intervention group. Results: Strategic, tactical, academia and community stakeholder groups and their competencies were identified. An overall gain of 43 percentage points (p<0.001) was observed in terms of competencies score in trained tutors, which further trained 1 033 people. Conclusion: The identification of the stakeholders and their competencies proved to be useful to guide training courses to significantly improve the initial competencies and create a critical mass to further advance the EA in the region.

Resumen: Objetivo: Diseñar y analizar la eficacia de un curso basado en competencias de Eco-Salud para la prevención y control de enfermedades transmitidas por vectores, para actores específicos. Material y métodos: Se consultaron múltiples actores y sectores de la región para identificar las competencias específicas del enfoque de Ecosalud, que deberían de tener los grupos clave utilizando un análisis de matriz ajustado. Se implementaron cursos de capacitación utilizando las competencias para capacitar a tutores en el enfoque. La efectividad del curso se evaluó mediante el uso de pruebas t pareadas por grupo de intervención. Resultados: Se identificaron los grupos clave para la prevención y control de las ETVs: estratégico, táctico, académico y comunitario, así como sus competencias. Se capacitaron tutores y se obtuvo un incremento en relación con las competencias iniciales de 43 puntos porcentuales (p <0.001). Conclusión: La identificación de los grupos clave y sus competencias demostró ser útil en el diseño de un curso para incrementar el nivel inicial de competencias y crear una masa crítica para Ecosalud en la región.

Training Primary Health Professionals in Breast Cancer Prevention: Evidence and Experience from Mexico.

To analyze the key successful factors of a national educational strategy for early breast cancer detection developed in Mexico for primary health care personnel from 2008 to 2014, an educational strategy to train physicians, nurses, health promoters, and medical students from local ministries of health with a competency-based approach was developed and implemented using diverse educational modalities, face-to-face, blended, and a massive open online course (MOOC). Formative and summative evaluations were used during the implementation of the course. A total of 19,563 health professionals were trained from 2008 to 2014. The graduation rate, an average of all educational modalities, was 91 %, much higher than those previously reported in the literature. The factors that might have influenced this success were (1) the training strategy, which was designed according to the characteristics and specific needs of the target groups; (2) the political will and commitment of the country's health authorities; (3) the technological and educational models used; and (4) the punctual follow-up of participants. This study shows that carefully designed educational interventions can improve service professionals' competencies and that regardless of the modality, face-to-face, blended learning, or MOOC, high graduation rates can be achieved. Further evaluation is required to demonstrate that the competencies remained in all target groups after 6 months of the intervention and that the women served by the trained personnel were provided accurate information and timely diagnoses of breast cancer.

The Public Health Leadership and Implementation Academy (PH-LEADER) for Non-Communicable Diseases.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are experiencing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and confront challenges of leadership, lack of local data and evidence, and gaps in implementation of successful interventions. To address these challenges, we designed an interdisciplinary training program, the Public Health Leadership and Implementation Academy (PH-LEADER) for NCDs. The year-long program has three components; a two-month preparation period; a three-week, in-person summer short course; and an in-country mentored project phase. The training was directed at mid-career, high-potential public health professionals from LMICs who are involved in NCDs prevention and control. We collected demographic data and information about achievements and products attained from participation in the program among trainees. Over four and a half years (2012-2016), 67 NCDs professionals (mean age 38.7 years; 58% male) from 11 countries have been trained. The training program has promoted the design and implementation of 49 projects focused on implementation of programs and policies addressing NCDs; 20 manuscripts submitted for publication; and four abstracts submitted for conference presentations. The PH-LEADER program promotes the design and implementation of evidence-based strategies to address NCDs in LMICs. Impact on trainee implementation research capacity and leadership skills and ultimately on NDCs prevention and control is yet to be assessed.

Population health diagnosis with an ecohealth approach.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of health diagnosis according to the ecohealth approach in rural and urban communities in Mexico. METHODS: Health diagnosis were conducted in La Nopalera, from December 2007 to October 2008, and in Atlihuayan, from December 2010 to October 2011. The research was based on three principles of the ecohealth approach: transdisciplinarity, community participation, gender and equity. To collect information, a joint methodology and several techniques were used to stimulate the participation of inhabitants. The diagnostic exercise was carried out in five phases that went from collecting information to prioritization of problems. RESULTS: The constitution of the transdisciplinary team, as well as the participation of the population and the principle of gender/equity were differentials between the communities. In the rural community, the active participation of inhabitants and authorities was achieved and the principles of transdisciplinarity and gender/equity were incorporated. CONCLUSIONS: With all the difficulties that entails the boost in participation, the incorporation of gender/equity and transdisciplinarity in health diagnosis allowed a holistic public health approach closer to the needs of the population.