To address this issue, a group of researchers from Ecuador and the United States organized science communication workshops to help academics develop self-reflection skills, prepare presentations for non-specialist audiences, and produce content for social media. The results were published in the Journal of Science Communication (JCOM) in September 2025.

In total, 12 researchers from the fields of public health, urban planning, education, and communication took part in the initiative. Their challenge was to find ways to improve the design of public spaces in the Andean city of Cuenca, Ecuador, based on an analysis of the physical activity habits of adolescents aged 12 to 17 in parks and public areas in the region. The workshops adopted an action learning methodology, adapted to the teams’ working environment.

Workshop format

Two instructors led the sessions, providing resources and proposing activities aligned with daily challenges arising in the participants’ work, requiring them to put the knowledge and skills developed throughout the training into practice. 

The workshops were held in hybrid format, with both in-person and online sessions, to encourage active learning and provide flexibility. Each session lasted four hours and combined theoretical presentations and guided activities, prepared in advance by one of the initiative’s coordinators.

The first workshop took place during the project’s pre-planning phase, before recruitment of the target audience began. The objective was to enable the researchers to build ethical relationships with participants and other stakeholders. 

One activity aimed to strengthen the bond between the researchers and raise awareness of different layers of privilege. 

The instructors prompted them to reflect on their social, cultural, and personal circumstances in order to develop privilege management strategies that would foster more ethical and equitable relationships when collaborating with colleagues and the public.

The second workshop trained the researchers in presentation techniques and content production for social media, focusing on formats most appealing to broader audiences. The instructors introduced strategies used in business and entrepreneurial environments to present ideas persuasively, supported by narrative techniques. 

Results and conclusions

The results indicate that the initiative was well received: at the end of the workshops, nine of the 12 participants felt that they had achieved an intermediate mastery of the skills covered, and 97% considered the activities useful for developing science communication abilities. 

Social media training was identified as the most beneficial by 11 of the 12 researchers, while eight rated content production and presentation techniques as extremely useful. The self-reflection exercise prior to contact with adolescents also increased the participants’ awareness of their privileges and ways of managing them.

In the end, the researchers went beyond simply outlining strategies to support young people and the Cuenca community in partnership with organizations and local authorities. They also transformed the study’s findings into social media content, highlighting that some of the local population avoid public parks due to safety concerns.

The conclusion is that enhancing these skills—especially among early-career researchers—can increase public engagement and make science communication efforts more effective, especially when researchers strategically incorporate social media.

O post Researchers learn science communication in workshops apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.

“This imbalance in the sample could limit our understanding of human psychiatric genetics and create new health inequalities,” warns Diego Rovaris, a geneticist at the University of São Paulo (USP) and lead author of the study.

Speaking to Science Arena, Rovaris explains that the genetic complexity of Latin American populations and the lack of funding for research in the region are both barriers to inclusion. The Latin American genome reflects the blending of diverse ancestries, requiring specific approaches and greater scientific investment.

“It is essential to increase the diversity of samples in psychiatric studies,” says geneticist Maria Cátira Bortolini of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), who did not participate in the study. “This paper should serve as a warning to the authorities and funding agencies.”

The genetic basis of psychiatric disorders

To understand the genetic foundations of psychiatric disorders, scientists rely on genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which are used to compare the genomes of individuals with and without a given condition, identifying variants associated with disease risk.

A recent study on depression analyzed 5 million participants, including mixed-race individuals, and identified dozens of relevant genetic variants. These risk variants are mutations that have only a small impact in isolation, but collectively can influence the onset of disorders.

Based on identified variants, researchers investigate the associated biological pathways, such as the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter related to attention and impulse control.

“In a GWAS on ADHD, we identified 76 risk genes that act mainly in neurons communicating through dopamine in brain regions important for attention,” says Rovaris

More effective therapies and diversification of samples

One tool under development is the polygenic risk score (PRS), which estimates a person’s genetic predisposition to a disorder by analyzing variants in their DNA. “People who are born with many variants associated with a disorder tend to have a higher risk of developing it throughout life, as well as a worse prognosis,” notes Rovaris.

Use of the PRS in genetic counseling can help to improve prevention and to guide treatment choices. However, it is essential that the score be calibrated with data from the local population.

“A PRS developed in Europe or the US is of little use to the Brazilian population,” Rovaris points out. 

“This article serves as a guide for diversifying research samples,” says Bortolini.

The consortium is also working on expanding regional databases, recruiting more participants, and increasing the representation of Latin American populations in psychiatric science.

“Our goal is to promote scientific collaboration in Latin America, expand databases with representative samples from the region, and make precision psychiatry a reality for everyone, regardless of ethnic group or socioeconomic status,” concludes Rovaris.

O post Psychiatric genetics: Studies ignore Latin America and widen inequalities  apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.

The causal relationship between climate change, disasters, and health is still an incipient line of research, but it has been growing in recent years in a diverse range of scientific fields.

A group of 34 researchers from Latin America, representing various fields of knowledge, turned their attention to these issues, analyzing the consequences of the climate crisis on human health.

The team created approximately 40 indicators—with help from 23 regional institutions and United Nations (UN) agencies—to be monitored in 17 countries. The results were published in The 2023 Latin America report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, released in May.

“This key document offers important scientific evidence about what is happening in these territories,” Stella Hartinger, an epidemiologist from the Latin American Center for Excellence on Climate Change and Health at Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru, and lead author of the report, explained to Science Arena.

The researchers found the data concerning. The incidence of dengue cases across Latin America increased by an average of 54% between 2013 and 2022. The increase was particularly severe in Bolivia (145%), Peru (95%), and Brazil (94.5%).

In 2022, the average temperature in Latin America was 0.38 °C higher than it was in 2005. Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay were the countries that experienced the greatest increase in average temperature.

Between 2013 and 2022, children under one year of age were exposed to 248% more heatwave days than from 1986 to 2005. People aged over 65 experienced 271% more heatwave days. In the latter age group, premature deaths have increased by 140% since 2000—negatively affecting the economy, according to the report.

In addition to the loss of income due to deaths, the increase in heat affects worker productivity, resulting in a potential loss of around US$1.7 billion.

The sectors most affected are construction and agriculture. The agriculture sector, for example, was the most impacted in Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Paraguay, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Impacts on food

Food crop losses do not only impact producer income, but also access to food in general, which can have major consequences on public health.

“Climate change is connected to an increased prevalence of both obesity and malnutrition—not directly, but indirectly through food production,” explains nutritionist Aline Martins de Carvalho, a professor and head of the Sustainability Center at the School of Public Health of the University of São Paulo (USP), who contributed to the Lancet report.

According to Carvalho, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floods can severely affect agricultural production, changing not only the way food is produced, but also its nutritional qualities.

Between 2013 and 2022, people in eleven countries were exposed to more days of high or extremely high fire risk than between 2001 and 2010. Chile, Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil were the most affected.

The issue therefore exacerbates poor nutrition and food insecurity. The food insecurity experience scale (FIES), developed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), highlighted that in 2021, 37% of Latin Americans stated that they have no access to healthy and nutritious foods, while 33% stated that they eat less than they should.

An estimated 9.9 million people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity due to a greater number of heatwaves and droughts than the 1981–2010 average.

Major environmental disasters can lead to reduced food access and a consequent decrease in diet quality, says Raquel Santiago, a professor at the School of Nursing and Nutrition of the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) who contributed to the Lancet report and is part of the Planetary Health Research Group at USP.

“The cost of food is high, especially quality food. The population therefore turns to foods of low nutritional quality and consumes a diet that is not particularly diverse,” explains Santiago.

According to Santiago, food insecurity is currently on the rise due to reduced access to food itself and reduced access to a high-quality and balanced diet that provides adequate nutrients.

A balanced diet should consist of approximately 50% plant-based products, such as vegetables, 25% whole grains, and 25% proteins, which do not necessarily need to come from meat.

“Proportionally speaking, Brazilians prefer foods of animal origin,” says Santiago. “However, it is important to stress that access is not always adequate, and as a result, the risk of poor nutrition and food insecurity increases,” she points out.

Increase in urban population

Another important topic covered in the Lancet reportis the increasing number of people living in cities. It is estimated that 80% of the population of Latin America lives in major cities, where they are more exposed to climate risks and other factors that affect health and well-being. The report cites a survey carried out in 208 cities across South America, which indicated that the biggest health problems in urban areas are infectious diseases, floods, and heatwaves.

The majority (93.8%) of urban inhabitants have access to clean energy sources, but electricity production from coal grew by 2.6%. Investment in cleaner energy mixes grew across the continent in 2022, but the use of fossil fuels is still high.

Across the region, 96% of road transport is powered by fossil fuels such as diesel, which exacerbates the problem of pollution.

Premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5)—particles suspended in the air that contribute to pollution, generated by burning biomass—increased by 3.9% between 2005 and 2020, equivalent to 123 deaths per million people. The most severely affected countries were Chile, Peru, Brazil, and Colombia.

None of the 109 cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants had high levels of green space. Only 12 were considered to have moderate levels of green space—five of which were located in Venezuela.

Expanding parks could have significant health and climate resilience benefits in urban areas, according to the Lancet report, as well as improving the physical and mental well-being of residents, reducing mortality.

“The expansion of green spaces would result in a reduction of air and noise pollution,” the authors explain in the document. “It could also increase opportunities for exercise and social interaction.”

Inequalities between North and South

The results showed a disparity between the Global North and South in terms of climate situation and impacts. This explains the importance of carrying out research that focuses on Latin America.

“When the Lancet Countdown studies began, they focused on countries in the Global North,” points out Stella Hartinger, from Lima, Peru. “But the circumstances in the South are different. We came together because of the social vulnerability and lack of environmental governance in countries in the Global South, among other factors,” she explains.

Of the countries analyzed in the report, only Brazil and Guatemala reported having completed vulnerability and adaptation assessments for the impacts of climate change on health. Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay are the only nations to have implemented this kind of policy or national plan.

The application level in Brazil, however, was considered moderate. Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Peru reported that plans were under development.

Most climate change adaptation plans include information on the impacts of the climate on public health and health systems based on evidence presented in the international or global scientific literature.

“There is great potential in the Global South, especially in Latin America, to mitigate the damage caused by climate change,” says UFG’s Raquel Santiago. “We have the largest functioning environmental reserves, but there is a lack of commitment to maintaining natural processes from the public and governments.”

“There is no effective monitoring of ‘clandestine’ deforestation, especially in regions with riparian forests and water basins,” points out Santiago. “A coherent line of thought is needed, as well as investment not only in research, but also in technology.”

“Climate change is an issue that should not be politicized,” reflects Hartinger. “This is not a problem exclusively for the right or the left, there is no point in pointing fingers at one side of the political spectrum or the other. It is a challenge that must be faced by everyone.”

O post How climate change impacts the health of Latin Americans apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.

The study, described in a paper published in Lancet Global Health, asked people questions about their level of satisfaction with the healthcare systems they used, whether public, private, or mixed.

The survey was carried out by telephone between July 2022 and January 2023. Between 1,000 and 1,250 adults were interviewed in each country.

The topics covered included health system coverage, user experience, system competence, and confidence in the system. An inequality index was also calculated based on the income and education of the interviewees.

Access to healthcare as a whole was good, but only a third said they received high-quality services, and only 25% of people with mental health diagnoses said they received adequate care.

In relation to more specific topics, such as access to telemedicine, communication and autonomy during their most recent consultation, waiting times, and preventive examinations, the survey revealed inequalities that favor people with higher incomes in all four countries.

The socioeconomic inequalities between and within the four countries were taken into account, as well as issues specific to each one, such as corruption and political upheaval.

In Peru, where 61% of the population is covered by the Ministry of Health’s program (which is only offered to the poorest, those from the informal economy, and the unemployed and their families), the political upheavals of the last five years have had a major impact on investment in healthcare infrastructure.

Quantity vs. quality

Among the four countries analyzed, Uruguay has the highest income, the most stable political environment, and a well-funded and equipped healthcare system.

Several results were better in Uruguay, including coverage, user experience, system competence, and management of the COVID-19 pandemic—but this does not mean that there are no inequalities in the country.

Although the approaches taken in these four countries do not represent Latin America as a whole, the results of the study could prove useful across the region. One example is the influence that health system fragmentation has on perpetuating inequalities, both in care quality and access.

In all of the countries analyzed, there are multiple agencies responsible for public health, in addition to the private system—which is very small in some countries, such as Peru, where only 3% of the population has health insurance.

“Our results suggest that access to general health services is high in these countries, although access did not equate to high-quality access, needs for mental healthcare access being met, or preventive care and screenings being provided,” the researchers stated in the article.

They also highlight that the region’s long-standing shortage of mental health funding has been further accentuated by the pandemic.

The authors also note that innovations such as telemedicine offer promise for improving access to primary care, but present a risk of exacerbating inequalities, given the disproportionate access to primary care by higher-income individuals.

The analysis of health systems in the four countries may also serve as a guide for governments and public policymakers, providing information on quality and helping to identify priorities.

“Overall, our study underscores the importance of continued efforts to address the challenges facing the healthcare systems in Latin America to ensure equitable access to high-quality care for all,” the researchers say.

O post Fragmentation and inequalities in Latin American healthcare systems apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.

To change the situation, countries in the region will have to work together to collectively achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2020 to 2030 “through diplomatic, political, scientific, inclusive, supportive, and equitable means,” stressed Paulo Buss, head of the Center for International Relations at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (CRIS-FIOCRUZ), at a virtual seminar held in November for the launch of the book Perspectivas y desafíos en un escenario post pandemia: fortaleciendo alianzas de salud global en América Latina y el Caribe (Post-pandemic perspectives and challenges: Strengthening global health alliances in Latin America and the Caribbean).

Edited by the Latin American Alliance for Global Health (ALASAG) with support from CRIS-FIOCRUZ, the book (available in PDF) is a collection of articles written in Portuguese and Spanish by 20 Latin American experts, based on content presented at the VII Latin American Congress on Global Health, held in Santiago, Chile, in November 2022.

The articles present discussions and analyses of the health situations faced in Latin America during the pandemic and the emergence of new social challenges and problems in the region, such as climate change and food insecurity, among other factors increasing existing inequalities in Latin-American communities.

Buss wrote two of the articles in the book. In one, coauthored with Dr. Giorgio Solimano of the University of Chile’s School of Medicine, he presents the key characteristics of the various crises in the region, based on data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

According to Buss, the pandemic exposed weaknesses in economic, social, and health policies in the region, resulting in insufficient capacities to deal with the health emergency, the fragmentation of public policies, and failures in communication with the public.

The result has been an increase in poverty rates to above pre-pandemic levels. It is estimated that 32.1% of the region’s population (201 million people) lived in poverty in 2022, while 13.1% (82 million people) lived in extreme poverty.

“Compared to the pre-pandemic years, this is an increase of approximately 15 million people in poverty and 12 million in extreme poverty in the region,” emphasized the scientist. “The situation primarily affects children, women aged 20 to 59, Indigenous people, and people of African descent.”

With 8.4% of the world’s population, the Latin America and Caribbean region was also one of the most heavily affected by the pandemic, with 34% of global COVID-19 cases and 28% of all deaths from the disease.

“The informality of the labor markets, the impossible nature of social distancing, and the overcrowding of favelas in Brazil and Argentina, in addition to the slow and hesitant reaction of some political leaders in the region, contributed to the high number of cases and deaths, especially among people who are poor, less educated, Black, and Indigenous,” highlighted Buss.

To reverse the damage caused by the pandemic and contain the spread of poverty, new paradigms need to be adopted in healthcare, taking a joint approach to the social determinants of health, the early detection of diseases, and the reduction of health inequalities.

“All of this can only happen if we have adequate levels of funding and an increase in scientific diplomacy,” said the researcher.

Health and the environment

Another important aspect of the multidimensional crisis currently faced by Latin America and the Caribbean is the environment. Countries in the region account for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (which contribute to global warming), equivalent to just a third of the emissions of the USA and the European Union.

At the same time, the region is particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. “The poorest populations are the most vulnerable because they suffer more from extreme weather events, with fewer resources to prepare for them,” said Helena Ribeiro, a professor from the School of Public Health at the University of São Paulo (FSP-USP) and author of one of the chapters of the book.

She and her colleagues have been examining data from the World Meteorological Organization, a UN agency involving almost 10,000 scientists from 60 countries, in an attempt to understand the dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions in Latin America and the Caribbean over recent years.

According to the scientist, data released by the organization in 2022 indicate that emissions of the three main greenhouse gases in the region—carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitric oxide (NO)—have increased since the pandemic. The effects of climate change are already being felt in some areas.

In other areas, intense rainfall causes floods and landslides, claiming the lives of thousands of people. Between 2020 and 2022, 175 meteorological disasters were recorded in the region, causing annual losses of up to US$3 billion.

Spread of diseases

The intensification of extreme weather events has also increased the spread of infectious diseases, such as dengue fever, malaria, and cholera, at times overwhelming health services. It has also caused damage to subsistence crops—which no longer have adequate irrigation or drainage systems—worsening food insecurity in the region.

In 2021, in one of the most critical moments of the pandemic, there were 8 million people experiencing food insecurity in Central America. “In addition to affecting the mental health of these individuals, the situation contributes to rising levels of migration from the countryside to cities,” pointed out Ribeiro.

According to Osiac, the only way to achieve the SDGs aimed at eradicating hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture is to support the transformation of current agrifood systems into more sustainable and resilient systems, while ensuring that existing economic, social, and environmental foundations are not put at risk. “This is the only way we will be able to ensure food and nutritional security for future generations.”

“The post-pandemic agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean needs to be based on a broad perspective of transforming social protection and health systems and the relationships between the State, the market, and society’s role in health,” stated psychologist Suelen Carlos de Oliveira, a professor at the University of Grande Rio (UNIGRANRIO) in Rio de Janeiro.

She believes the health crisis highlighted the need to strengthen the public nature of health systems in a structural, stable, and continuous way, so that it is capable of responding to the needs of the population.

“This requires changes that involve redistributive conflicts, such as increased public funding and changes in public-private relations in health, including the provision of services,” said Oliveira.

According to the psychologist, there is also an urgent need to strengthen regional integration strategies in Latin America, as well as strategic alignments with other countries in the Global South and efforts to reorient global health governance mechanisms based on commitments to reduce inequalities, improve equity, and foster solidarity between nations.

O post Post-pandemic challenges apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.