Bruno Ribotta

Mortalidad por causas externas en tres ciudades latinoamericanas: Córdoba (Argentina), Campinas (Brasil) y Medellín (Colombia), 1980-2005

Aim: This article has the objective of contributing to studies on mortality from violent causes in Latin America through a comparative analysis of recent patterns and trends in deaths from external causes in three regional urban contexts. Methods: A descriptive study from secondary sources is presented, using vital statistics from Cordoba (Argentina), Campinas (Brazil) and Medellin (Colombia) during three different periods between 1980 and 2005. The following subgroups of external causes are studied: homicides by firearms and other weapons, traffic accidents, and suicides and deaths with unspecified intentions. The data was disaggregated by age and sex, with rates calculated for the medians of the next three census years. Results: The levels for Medellin are significantly higher than those seen in Campinas and Cordoba for all external causes studied. Young men constitute the group with the highest mortality. The levels in Campinas are twice those seen in Cordoba, especially in homicides and traffic accidents, but the suicide rates of Cordoba are double those in Campinas. For Medellin the rates were highest around 1990, unlike the two other cities where the trend grew between 1980 and 2000 and declined between 2001 and 2005. Conclusions: The availability of quality data on mortality allows comparisons among the populations studied. When comparing mortality from external causes, considerable differences in the levels and trends can be seen, but there are fewer differences observed on the data for age and sex. These data were collected from cities with similarities, as they are all three important university centers with industrial development that has been important for their countries. The results suggest that socioeconomic and demographic factors are insufficient to explain the great differences in the data reported.

Mortality from external causes in three Latin American cities: Córdoba (Argentina), Campinas (Brazil) and Medellín (Colombia), 1980-2005

Aim: This article has the objective of contributing to studies on mortality from violent causes in Latin America through a comparative analysis of recent patterns and trends in deaths from external causes in three regional urban contexts. Methods: A descriptive study from secondary sources is presented, using vital statistics from Cordoba (Argentina), Campinas (Brazil) and Medellin (Colombia) during three different periods between 1980 and 2005. The following subgroups of external causes are studied: homicides by firearms and other weapons, traffic accidents, and suicides and deaths with unspecified intentions. The data was disaggregated by age and sex, with rates calculated for the medians of the next three census years. Results: The levels for Medellin are significantly higher than those seen in Campinas and Cordoba for all external causes studied. Young men constitute the group with the highest mortality. The levels in Campinas are twice those seen in Cordoba, especially in homicides and traffic accidents, but the suicide rates of Cordoba are double those in Campinas. For Medellin the rates were highest around 1990, unlike the two other cities where the trend grew between 1980 and 2000 and declined between 2001 and 2005. Conclusions: The availability of quality data on mortality allows comparisons among the populations studied. When comparing mortality from external causes, considerable differences in the levels and trends can be seen, but there are fewer differences observed on the data for age and sex. These data were collected from cities with similarities, as they are all three important university centers with industrial development that has been important for their countries. The results suggest that socioeconomic and demographic factors are insufficient to explain the great differences in the data reported.

Mortalidade por causas externas em três cidades latino-americanas: Córdoba (Argentina), Campinas (Brasil) e Medellín (Colômbia), 1980-2005

Aim: This article has the objective of contributing to studies on mortality from violent causes in Latin America through a comparative analysis of recent patterns and trends in deaths from external causes in three regional urban contexts. Methods: A descriptive study from secondary sources is presented, using vital statistics from Cordoba (Argentina), Campinas (Brazil) and Medellin (Colombia) during three different periods between 1980 and 2005. The following subgroups of external causes are studied: homicides by firearms and other weapons, traffic accidents, and suicides and deaths with unspecified intentions. The data was disaggregated by age and sex, with rates calculated for the medians of the next three census years. Results: The levels for Medellin are significantly higher than those seen in Campinas and Cordoba for all external causes studied. Young men constitute the group with the highest mortality. The levels in Campinas are twice those seen in Cordoba, especially in homicides and traffic accidents, but the suicide rates of Cordoba are double those in Campinas. For Medellin the rates were highest around 1990, unlike the two other cities where the trend grew between 1980 and 2000 and declined between 2001 and 2005. Conclusions: The availability of quality data on mortality allows comparisons among the populations studied. When comparing mortality from external causes, considerable differences in the levels and trends can be seen, but there are fewer differences observed on the data for age and sex. These data were collected from cities with similarities, as they are all three important university centers with industrial development that has been important for their countries. The results suggest that socioeconomic and demographic factors are insufficient to explain the great differences in the data reported.

Las posibilidades de las fuentes de información sociodemográficas para el monitoreo del derecho a la salud de las personas Mayores en la Argentina, 1999-2013

En el articulo se propone analizar y sistematizar el alcance, las limitaciones y los desafios de las fuentes de informacion producidas oficialmente en la Argentina en los ultimos 15 anos, para el monitoreo del ejercicio del derecho a la salud de las personas mayores. Se realiza una compilacion de indicadores propuestos principalmente por el Centro Latinoamericano y Caribeno de Demografia (CELADE)-Division de Poblacion de la Comision Economica para America Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) en el marco de diferentes conferencias internacionales y se analizan las posibilidades de implementacion, con una mirada desde el enfoque basado en los derechos humanos. Entre las principales conclusiones, se destaca que la Argentina cuenta con un conjunto de fuentes de informacion que permiten abordar una cantidad importante de indicadores. Sin embargo, para medidas clave en este grupo poblacional, las principales fuentes de informacion no permiten monitorear diferencias entre distintos grupos socioeconomicos y geograficos ni su evolucion, por lo que no admiten una mirada desde el enfoque de derechos.

A redução da mortalidade infantil a partir da ótica dos direitos: uma comparação entre Argentina e Brasil

The present article aims to investigate the progress reached in reducing infant mortality in Argentina and in Brazil, beginning in the 1990s, using human rights as the analytical approach. Based on this perspective, the authors emphasize some fundamental principles on which they are based and that are present in all the instruments: “Governments are the main duty barriers”, “progress and non-retreat” and “equality and non-discrimination” to exercise rights. Therefore, in addition to seeking to reduce the general level of infant mortality– as is the aim of any development policy – the human rights perspective proposes a systematic advance in exercising rights that reach the entire population, in this way, making it a priority to reduce the existing gap among social strata. The article is based on data published by national statistics institutes and by the Centro Latino-Americano e Caribenho de Demografia – Latin American and Caribbean Demography Center (Celade – Cepal Population Division). Among the main results, the trends in infant mortality, in the countries studied, were observed to have had major reductions, which may be explained by applying the principle of “progress and non-retreat”. However, the progress attained is insufficient to reach the objectives made at international conferences. More concerning is not following the principle “equality and non-discrimination”. The limited information available allows the evaluation that, in some cases, the reduction in discrepancies among social strata is minimum, or even null.

La reducción de la mortalidad infantil desde un enfoque de derechos: una comparación entre Argentina y Brasil

The present article aims to investigate the progress reached in reducing infant mortality in Argentina and in Brazil, beginning in the 1990s, using human rights as the analytical approach. Based on this perspective, the authors emphasize some fundamental principles on which they are based and that are present in all the instruments: “Governments are the main duty barriers”, “progress and non-retreat” and “equality and non-discrimination” to exercise rights. Therefore, in addition to seeking to reduce the general level of infant mortality– as is the aim of any development policy – the human rights perspective proposes a systematic advance in exercising rights that reach the entire population, in this way, making it a priority to reduce the existing gap among social strata. The article is based on data published by national statistics institutes and by the Centro Latino-Americano e Caribenho de Demografia – Latin American and Caribbean Demography Center (Celade – Cepal Population Division). Among the main results, the trends in infant mortality, in the countries studied, were observed to have had major reductions, which may be explained by applying the principle of “progress and non-retreat”. However, the progress attained is insufficient to reach the objectives made at international conferences. More concerning is not following the principle “equality and non-discrimination”. The limited information available allows the evaluation that, in some cases, the reduction in discrepancies among social strata is minimum, or even null.

Reduction in infant mortality from the rights perspective: a comparison between Argentina and Brazil

The present article aims to investigate the progress reached in reducing infant mortality in Argentina and in Brazil, beginning in the 1990s, using human rights as the analytical approach. Based on this perspective, the authors emphasize some fundamental principles on which they are based and that are present in all the instruments: “Governments are the main duty barriers”, “progress and non-retreat” and “equality and non-discrimination” to exercise rights. Therefore, in addition to seeking to reduce the general level of infant mortality– as is the aim of any development policy – the human rights perspective proposes a systematic advance in exercising rights that reach the entire population, in this way, making it a priority to reduce the existing gap among social strata. The article is based on data published by national statistics institutes and by the Centro Latino-Americano e Caribenho de Demografia – Latin American and Caribbean Demography Center (Celade – Cepal Population Division). Among the main results, the trends in infant mortality, in the countries studied, were observed to have had major reductions, which may be explained by applying the principle of “progress and non-retreat”. However, the progress attained is insufficient to reach the objectives made at international conferences. More concerning is not following the principle “equality and non-discrimination”. The limited information available allows the evaluation that, in some cases, the reduction in discrepancies among social strata is minimum, or even null.