Public HealthSocial medicine in Latin America: productivity and dangers facing the major national groups
Section snippets
National groups
Since the late 1960s, groups in several Latin American countries have worked under challenging and sometimes dangerous conditions. All groups have made major contributions in research, teaching, and public service. Figure 1 shows their locations. In addition to these groups, smaller networks have emerged in other countries, including Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Financial survival
Financial support for research, educational, and service projects also varies widely among Latin American countries. Although Juan César García had orchestrated financial support for several social medicine groups from his position at the Pan American Health Organisation, after his death in 1984 this organisation became less reliable as a source of funding.1 The Canadian Association of Public Health has assisted several national groups with project-based funding over extended periods of time.
Conclusions
Although social medicine groups have varying effects on medical practice, public health programmes, and medical education in their respective countries, they have built an important network of groups conducting research and intervention programmes in the tradition of social medicine. Wider knowledge of this work would prove helpful, not least because of the courage of the individuals and groups that have continued their efforts under dangerous working conditions. A focus on the social origins
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