Objective: To describe the strategies implemented in seventeen Latin American countries for obesity prevention and to provide an overview of their impact.Design: A thorough search of strategies and their impact was done through an Internet search, governmental webpages, reports and research articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese.Setting: Latin America (not including the Caribbean countries).Participants: Any.Results: The Ministry of Health is the main oversight for obesity prevention, with six countries having a specific structure for this. Regular obesity monitoring occurs in a few countries, and thirteen countries have a national obesity prevention plan. The main regulations being implemented/designed are front-of-package labelling (sixteen countries), school environment (fifteen countries), school nutrition education (nine countries), promotion of physical activity level (nine countries) and sugar-sweetened beverage tax (eight countries). All countries have dietary guidelines. The main community-based programmes being implemented are school meals (seventeen countries), complementary nutrition (eleven countries), nutrition education (fourteen countries), promotion of physical activity (nine countries) and healthy environments (nine countries). Most of these strategies have not been evaluated. The few with positive results have used a coordinated, multi-disciplinary and multi-sector approach, with legislation and executive-level support.Conclusions: Important obesity prevention strategies are being implemented in the seventeen Latin American countries included in the present review. However, few have been evaluated to assess their impact on preventing obesity. This information can help assess that actions can be generalised to other countries within the region and can help inform how to prevent obesity in different settings.

This project aimed to synthesize the quantitative/qualitative evidence on the effectiveness of overweight/obesity prevention strategies implemented in Colombia and their barriers and facilitators. A scoping review was conducted by searching PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, and the grey literature (2012–2023). In-depth interviews were also conducted among key stakeholders on their perception of these strategies’ effectiveness, barriers, and facilitators. 26 records were included; four studies found positive changes in weight/body mass index, five found positive changes in physical activity, two found positive changes in food intake, and four found positive changes in healthy lifestyle knowledge, perception, attitudes, and habits. The main barrier reported was the obesogenic environment, and the facilitators were program flexibility and community engagement. Eighteen interviews were conducted (one interview per strategy); the main barriers reported were political, lack of evaluation access, economic situation, and lack of articulation; the main facilitators were incorporating the strategy into policies, articulation with stakeholders, and strong oversight. Moderate evidence indicates that these strategies positively impact outcomes related to overweight/obesity in Colombia, but more long-term studies are needed for overweight/obesity reduction. Lack of (1) evaluation and resources (barriers), (2) incorporation into policies (facilitators), and (3) strong stakeholder coordination (facilitators) was identified. Global Health Consortium, Department of Global Health, 10.13039/100007681 FIU .

Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), which is part of the same family as the smallpox virus.1 Although milder than smallpox, mpox can still lead to severe health issues, particularly in vulnerable individuals. It primarily transmits through close physical contact with an infected person, bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.1 Initially, mpox presents with fever, headache, myalgia and fatigue, often followed by lymphadenopathy—a hallmark differentiating it from smallpox. Within a few days, a distinctive rash emerges, progressing from flat lesions to fluid-filled blisters and scabs (figure 1).2 These lesions commonly appear on the face, hands, feet and genital regions and usually last up to 4 weeks. While most cases resolve without treatment, complications can arise, especially for those immunosuppressed, potentially leading to secondary bacterial infections or, in severe cases, even to encephalitis and death.2

The Global Health Consortium at Florida International University developed an end-to-end solution framework based on the input of a diverse panel of experts from middle-income country (MIC) government agencies, public health think tanks, academia, and nonprofit organizations to identify mechanisms to help MIC governments and stakeholders increase access to novel vaccines for infectious diseases. The resultant layout can be deployed to improve vaccine discovery and development, strengthen regulatory processes, and boost vaccine production, access, and implementation. Mechanisms include policies and incentives MIC governments can use to stimulate vaccine investment and activity, as well as actions government agencies can take together with other stakeholders to coordinate efforts or build capabilities. Through a series of individual virtual interviews, we engaged diverse experts from MIC government agencies, public health think tanks, academia, and nonprofit organizations who understand the vaccine ecosystem, immunization policies, and population health financing at global, regional, and country levels. Responses were mapped, and in-depth questions were prepared for a group virtual discussion. This paper is the result of such a group discussion. The panel identified clear opportunities for MICs to improve locally-driven innovations and future access to novel vaccines. It proposes a solution framework for countries considering investing in vaccine research and development and innovation to use as a guide to evaluate the steps they could take to improve such an environment and incentivize innovation in vaccine development. It is hoped that this end-to-end solution framework will become a key resource to help MICs strengthen policies and take more actions to make such improvements.