Taking innovative vector control interventions in urban Latin America to scale: lessons learnt from multi-country implementation research.

Prior to the current public health emergency following the emergence of chikungunya and Zika Virus Disease in the Americas during 2014 and 2015, multi-country research investigated between 2011 and 2013 the efficacy of novel Aedes aegypti intervention packages through cluster randomised controlled trials in four Latin-American cities: Fortaleza (Brazil); Girardot (Colombia), Acapulco (Mexico) and Salto (Uruguay). Results from the trials led to a scaling up effort of the interventions at city levels. Scaling up refers to deliberate efforts to increase the impact of successfully tested health interventions to benefit more people and foster policy and program development in a sustainable way. The different scenarios represent examples for  a 'vertical approach' and a 'horizontal approach'. This paper presents the analysis of a preliminary process evaluation of the scaling up efforts in the mentioned cites, with a focus on challenges and enabling factors encountered by the research teams, analysing the main social, political, administrative, financial and acceptance factors.

Análisis metacontingencial de la Ley de "Justicia y Paz" (975 de 2005) en Colombia / Metacontingency Analysis of the "Justice and Peace" Law (975/2005) in Colombia

Dentro de la perspectiva del análisis del comportamiento hay una joven pero fructífera tradición de estudio e intervención sobre prácticas culturales, que ha dado origen, entre otros, al concepto de metacontingencia, entendida en general como una relación funcional entre el comportamiento entrelazado de los individuos y un producto agregado determinado, operando en el tercer nivel (cultural) de selección. Al igual que la contingencia, que funciona en el segundo nivel de selección, es importante la especificación de sus términos para aumentar la posibilidad de influencia sobre la conducta. En este trabajo se pretendió hacer un análisis de la Ley de Justicia y Paz en Colombia en la búsqueda de estas especificaciones, las cuales revelaron que la escritura de la ley no se ajusta adecuadamente a los principios de especificación de contingencia. Se ofrecen sugerencias para seguir trabajando en esta dirección.

Within the perspective of behaviour Analysis, there is a young, but fruitful, tradition of study and intervention on Cultural Practices. This tradition has startted, amongst others, the concept of Metacontingency which is a functional relationship between the interlocked individual behavioural contingencies and a certain aggregate product, which at the same time, operates on the third (cultural) level of selection. As in contingency that works on the second level of selection, it is important to be specific with contingency terms in order to increase the influence on behaviour. On this research "Justice and Peace Law in Colombia" was analysed to search specifications mentioned previously; this analysis shows that the way the law is written is not properly in accordance with the principles of contingency specification. Suggestions are offered to continue working in this direction.