Hispanic Latin America, Spain and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean: a rich source of reference material for public health, epidemiology and tropical medicine

There is a multiplicity of journals originating in Spain and the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (SSLAC) in the health sciences of relevance to the fields of epidemiology and public health. While the subject matter of epidemiology in Spain shares many features with its neighbours in Western Europe, many aspects of epidemiology in Latin America are particular to that region.

There are also distinctive theoretical and philosophical approaches to the study of epidemiology and public health arising from traditions such as the Latin American social medicine movement, of which there may be limited awareness. A number of online bibliographic databases are available which focus primarily on health sciences literature arising in Spain and Latin America, the most prominent being Literatura Latinoamericana en Ciencias de la Salud (LILACS) and LATINDEX.

Some such as LILACS also extensively index grey literature. As well as in Spanish, interfaces are provided in English and Portuguese.

Abstracts of articles may also be provided in English with an increasing number of journals beginning to publish entire articles written in English. Free full text articles are becoming accessible, one of the most comprehensive sources being the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO).

There is thus an extensive range of literature originating in Spain and SSLAC freely identifiable and often accessible online, and with the potential to provide useful inputs to the study of epidemiology and public health provided that any reluctance to explore these resources can be overcome. In this article we provide an introduction to such resources.

Author: John R Williams, Annick Borquez and Maria Gloria Basanez
Credits/Source: Emerging Themes in Epidemiology 2008, 5:10″

• Ricardo Salinas Breaks Ground for What Will Be the Most Modern Television Studio in Latin America – Mexico City
• Brazil replaces Mexico as China’s top market in Latin America and boosts its surplus as well.
• LatAm Immigrants Are Changing Spain, Sociologist Says
• The current global crisis will cause the number of poor people in Latin America to rise by 9 million to 189 million this year, the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean said in a report presented on Thursday.
• The leader of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Latin American division, Vicente Trius, is leaving the company after having served less than five months in the position.
• Beginning with the 2009-2010 season, Terra will stream select games live throughout Latin America, in both Spanish and Portuguese
• The Associated Press on Wednesday announced changes in its Latin America and Caribbean operations, closing a service limited to Puerto Rican news within Puerto Rico while adding editors and reporters elsewhere for the expanding Spanish market in the Americas.
• Money Transfer Service to Latin America – ATMCASH launches online and over the phone money transfer service to Latin America
• Reviewed: Gringo: A Coming-of-Age in Latin America, by Chesa Boudin
• Trend Toward Smaller Families in Latin America – The number of people per household in Latin America will fall by 18 percent by 2020, according to a study released in this capital Tuesday by consulting firm Euromonitor International.
• Evaporation blamed on global warming has reduced Lake Titicaca, one of the world’s highest navigable lakes, to its lowest level since 1949
• Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped nearly 46 percent from August 2008 to July 2009 — the biggest annual decline in two decades
• Martin Ortells: “The Emerging Latin American Middle Class Represents an Enormous Opportunity”
• Consuls from Latin America will help with the census
• Internet users can now take a virtual pilgrimage on Spain’s Road to Santiago, or Way of St. James, thanks to Google’s Street View service.
• Korean trade with Latin America is growing strongly led by Brazil and Panama.
• Singapore continues boosting its business and trade relations with Latin America.
• AP Launches Mobile News Network, “AP Mobile América Latina”
• Latin American Businesses look to past in adapting to Current Economic Downturn.
• @ Ad-Tech New York: WPP’s Latin American Interest, Hispanic Digital Panel