Proyectos

Our aim is to develop an occupational health training program, focusing on professionals and technicians working in rural areas of Latin America, students of health careers conducting their rural internship and related teachers of collaborating universities. The program will be piloted at three sites 2018. The sites were selected to cover a range of typical rural occupational activities and to cover different cultural characteristics (indigenous population, migrant seasonal workers). Each course will be evaluated (e.g., change in knowledge, attitude, and behavior).

Implementar nodos de innovación social para la inserción de jóvenes con discapacidad por trastornos de salud mental severo, para que puedan contribuir en el aumento de la competitividad y responsabilidad social en empresas del sector turístico de las comunas de Pichilemu, San Fernando, Rancagua, a través de un enfoque metodológico de recuperación basado en promoción del desarrollo local, colaborativamente con adultos mayores y mujeres con alto nivel de vulnerabilidad social, durante los 36 meses de la iniciativa.

Through this study, we aimed at establishing an international network to facilitate and initiate the collection of epidemiological and biological evidences aimed at comprehensively assessing the premature aging in children and adolescents infected by HIV, by studying the different phenomena that characterize this status, with particular regards toward CVD, immunosenescence and immunometabolism.

La construcción de un modelo predictivo, que podría dar origen a una herramienta de screening para ayudar al profesor a identificar un problema de salud mental en el aula y solicitar ayuda a los equipos de apoyo psico-pedagógico dentro del establecimiento. De igual forma, este proyecto podría dar origen a una cohorte de estudiantes que permita profundizar en el estudio de la relación salud mental – resultados académicos, con productos científicos (conocimiento) y tecnológicos de innovación, que apoyen el trabajo de los docentes y sus establecimientos.

Latin America is home to an estimated 600 million people, the majority of whom live in severe economic deprivation and political instability. While mental illness and substance use problems (MISUP) in Latin America account for approximately a tenth of the world's total burden of the disease, very few individuals receive adequate treatment. 18 million Latin Americans are reported to be facing unemployment, eviction, and homelessness as a result of mental disorders. Untreated MISUP are a major public health issue as they can lead to long-term disability, impaired functioning, caregiver burden, and ultimately premature death. Given the prevalence of such issues in Latin America, an effort to address health equity and accessibility to mental health services is warranted. Research regarding mental health service use in Latin America is scarce, with even fewer studies focusing on barriers to accessibility such as stigma and discrimination. The goal for this project is to share key insights among Latin American countries to better understand factors that inhibit access to mental health services. Funding for a 3-day meeting bringing together key stakeholders from Chile, Canada, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina who are actively addressing these issues will serve three objectives: 1. Dissemination of Research - Disseminating findings from anti-stigma projects in Chile, Peru and Canada detailing challenges within their health systems, impact of interventions and opportunities to further research in this area. 2. Information Gathering - Exploring research studies concerning factors that prevent access to mental health care in Bolivia and Argentina to extract key insights from each approach. 3. Collaboration - Developing new, relevant and collaborative regional projects, research and interventions addressing accessibility to mental health services.

La contaminación ambiental extradomiciliaria es un importante problema de salud ambiental ya que es responsable del 7,6% de la mortalidad anual total y de la pérdida de 103,1 millones de años de vida saludable. Entre algunos de los efectos adversos que se han reportado para el Material Particulado, uno de los principales contaminantes, se encuentran aumento en la mortalidad, morbilidad, muerte prematura, enfermedades cardiovasculares y respiratorias, cáncer de pulmón, impacto adverso en la actividad del sistema nervioso central que resulta en deterioro cognitivo, y efectos nocivos sobre el desarrollo fetal y el embarazo, afectando mayormente a grupos más vulnerables. Si bien, a nivel global, se cuentan con estrategias y criterios de monitoreo de calidad del aire para identificar la concentración de los contaminantes relacionados con la salud, es posible que estos no permitan analizar con mayor profundidad las diferencias en la distribución geográfica de los contaminantes y su impacto en poblaciones específicas. En ese sentido, el presente proyecto tiene el objetivo de establecer una metodología para la generación de un mapa confiable de la contaminación del aire a partir de una red de monitoreo, el cual permita correlacionar de manera más precisa a través de modelos de interpolación, la contaminación del aire con los problemas de salud respiratorio de las personas del sector considerado, hacer una validación de la metodología propuesta con un programa piloto en un área a determinar de la comuna de Rancagua y realizar divulgación de resultados en colegios y jardines de la región con la finalidad de generar un debate más amplio y democrático sobre tanto de prácticas personales así como de las nuevas políticas relacionadas con la contaminación del aire. Para esto se propone emplear diversos métodos propios de cada disciplina. Primeramente, se estimará un radio máximo de cobertura de un sensor dentro del cual se garantice cierto grado de confianza (Variograma empírico) respecto de los valores entregados por el sensor como promedios representativos, para así determinar el tamaño/forma del área geográfica total donde instalar la red de sensores (Obj 1). Con esta información se determinará una configuración inicial de los sensores en un área geográfica determinada considerando la capacidad de la red, usando como ubicación potencial establecimientos educativos. Luego se hará un análisis estadístico con los datos proporcionados por la red y por sensores móviles para determinar una nueva configuración que maximice la confianza de la nueva interpolación. Una vez instalados los sensores y a partir de los datos entregados por ellos se escogerá una nueva configuración a través de un análisis estadístico de covarianzas (Obj 2). Además, se realizará un estudio ecológico para correlacionar las mediciones de contaminación de aire y algunos indicadores de salud respiratoria y atención de salud considerando distintos puntos geográficos de la sexta región (Obj 3). Finalmente, el proyecto desarrollará un plan de educación ambiental para concientizar sobre el tema y favorecer el cambio de comportamientos a nivel individual y comunitario (Obj 4). Con este proyecto se espera abordar con una visión interdisciplinaria un tema que es de especial preocupación en la región, como es la contaminación ambiental, fortaleciendo esta línea de investigación tanto en el instituto de ingeniería como en el de Salud, involucrando de forma activa también a estudiantes de pregrado.

Consolidar y fortalecer una nueva red de nodos de innovación social que promueva la inclusión socio laboral en personas con alguna discapacidad, personas mayores, mujeres y personas en situación de vulnerabilidad enfocada en los sectores económicos priorizados en la Estrategia de Desarrollo Regional 2011-2020 (EDRE) y de innovación, priorizando el sector turístico, y agroalimentario y la puesta en valor de la identidad cultural.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global phenomenon aggravated in recent decades by the inappropriate use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine, the lack of prevention and control measures for infections associated with health care, and the limited development of new antimicrobials. It causes an increase in mortality, morbidity, and health spending. In this sense, the irrational use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals can reduce the effectiveness of those antibiotics in treating animal and human diseases. It also represents an additional risk for antimicrobial resistance by transferring antibiotics to food for human consumption and generating a new source of exposure. The residual antibiotics in food have been related to some adverse effects on human health, including allergic reactions, disruption of digestive system function, and chronic toxic effects from prolonged low-level exposure. It also represents a risk for the animals by jeopardizing the effectiveness of the necessary treatments. Considering that, the project seeks to generate evidence regarding progress at the local level in regulatory issues and regarding the presence of antibiotics in food to raise awareness about the proper use of antibiotics in animals and humans and promote good practices

Water is an irreplaceable resource for developing socioeconomic activities and maintaining life on the planet. According to projections, water scarcity will increase, especially in those countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change and accelerated population growth. The negative impacts of the water deficit are already visible in some regions of the planet. Through the ECOH-WATER project, we will develop capacities for the access and use of rainwater in educational centers in Guatemala and Bolivia for sustainable consumption, adapting to the impacts generated by climate change through strategies based on local needs. To do this, we will first diagnose the areas at risk of drought using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to prioritize interventions. In the selected areas, we will develop an Action Research study with a strong participatory component to involve communities in implementing a rainwater harvesting system. Additionally, we will implement educational strategies for developing skills in seeking rational and sustainable water use. The project will establish alliances with local actors for the project's sustainability. The search for strategies to access quality water for human, animal, and environmental consumption is a worldwide priority. It must involve the communities, raise awareness about natural resources and risk behaviors, and work collaboratively with decision-makers. On the other hand, the transdisciplinary work proposed in this project will allow the search for solutions with an integral vision. On the other hand, this project highlights the south-south collaboration to generate learning, enhance local resources, and move toward our region's sustainable development.

The environment can be described as indispensable as it houses all life on earth, and evidence suggests that activities in interaction with nature not only provide physical and psychological benefits but also socially and economically. Nonetheless, we are currently confronted with many environmental challenges, including climate change, loss of biodiversity and degradation of natural habitats, which have adverse health outcomes for animals, humans and our shared environment. Furthermore, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, additional threats have emerged such as an increase in the use and disposal of plastic products for medical and non-medical applications and the amount of packaging used to deliver food and groceries to residences, leading to significant challenges in handling solid and hazardous medical wastes. This could become a crucial concern in the medium or long term, whilst aggravating the already existing issues, especially in countries with inadequate waste management systems. Recognizing this, environmental education has become more relevant than ever in ensuring a sustainable future by promoting responsible decision-making at the individual, institutional and community levels. The strengthening of environmental literacy through formal and informal educational strategies at different stages of the life course, considering day-to-day situations, will eventually allow for the development of capacities in the population, thereby conserving our shared environment. Project aim: The project's main objective, therefore, is to empower the community for environmental care through educational strategies based on local needs in Guatemala and Bolivia. This is to be achieved using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach by forming a multidisciplinary and intersectoral working group that includes professionals from the academy and representatives from diverse sectors like education, work, transportation, legislators and civil society. The project also follows a spiral approach, focusing on a problem and continuing with planning, action, observation and critical reflection, giving rise to a new progressive cycle. To better disseminate the project and population adherence, a digital platform app is to be designed to make available all the education material and specific guides that support this process. Ultimately, creating awareness and educating, based on evidence, about our actions' impact will allow a better co-existence and promote sustainable development, sustainable use and care of natural resources when considering practices in rural and urban communities