Fiscal challenges in the Netherlands Antilles 1991-1997

Includes bibliography

Challenges in meeting the monitoring requirements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): an examination of selected social statistics for four Caribbean small island developing states

Includes bibliography

Challenges in implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for further implementation of the Small Islands Developing States Programme of Action (MSI) in the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

International price volatility and economic policy challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

The Costa Concordia disaster and the cruise industry: An analysis of risks and challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean

This FAL Bulletin analyses the relevance of the cruise industry for the region and particularly for Caribbean countries. The article begins with an overview of the tourism industry, followed by a discussion of the relevance of the cruise industry for the region, and finally an approach to maritime education and training.

The employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Advances and challenges in measuring decent work

At 6.4%, the unemployment rate for the Latin American and Caribbean region overall was the lowest for the past few decades, down from 6.7% in 2011. This is significant, in view of the difficult employment situation prevailing in other world regions. Labour market indicators improved despite modest growth of just 3.0% in the region’s economy. Even with sharply rising labour market participation, the number of urban unemployed fell by around 400,000, on the back of relatively strong job creation. Nevertheless, around 15 million are still jobless in the region. Other highlights of 2012 labour market performance were that the gender gaps in labour market participation, unemployment and employment narrowed, albeit slightly; formal employment increased; the hourly underemployment rate declined; and average wages rose. This rendering was obviously not homogenous across the region. Labour market indicators worsened again in the Caribbean countries, for example, reflecting the sluggish performance of their economies. The sustainability of recent labour market progress is also a cause for concern. Most of the new jobs in the region were created as part of a self-perpetuating cycle in which new jobs and higher real wages (and greater access to credit) have boosted household purchasing power and so pushed up domestic demand. Much of this demand is for non-tradable goods and services (and imports), which has stimulated expansion of the tertiary sector and hence its demand for labour, and many of the new jobs have therefore arisen in these sectors of the economy. This dynamic certainly has positive implications in terms of labour and distribution, but the concern is whether it is sustainable in a context of still relatively low investment (even after some recent gains) which is, moreover, not structured in a manner conducive to diversifying production. Doubt hangs over the future growth of production capacity in the region, given the enormous challenges facing the region in terms of innovation, education quality, infrastructure and productivity. As vigorous job creation has driven progress in reducing unemployment, attention has turned once again to the characteristics of that employment. Awareness exists in the region that economic growth is essential, but not in itself sufficient to generate more and better jobs. For some time, ILO has been drawing attention to the fact that it is not enough to create any sort of employment. The concept of decent work, as proposed by ILO, emphasized the need for quality jobs which enshrine respect for fundamental rights at work. The United Nations General Assembly endorsed this notion and incorporated it into the targets set in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. This eighth issue of the ECLAC/ILO publication “The employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean” examines how the concept of decent work has evolved in the region, progress in measuring it and the challenges involved in building a system of decent work indicators, 14 years after the concept was first proposed. Although the concept of decent work has been accompanied since the outset by the challenge of measurement, its first objective was to generate a discussion on the best achievable labour practices in each country. Accordingly, rather than defining a universal threshold of what could be considered decent work —regarding which developed countries might have almost reached the target before starting, while poor countries could be left hopelessly behind— ILO called upon the countries to define their own criteria and measurements for promoting decent work policies. As a result, there is no shared set of variables for measuring decent work applicable to all countries. The suggestion is, instead, that countries move forward with measuring decent work on the basis of their own priorities, using the information they have available now and in the future. However, this strategy of progressing according to the data available in each country tends to complicate statistical comparison between them. So, once the countries have developed their respective systems of decent work indicators, it will be also be important to work towards harmonizing them. ECLAC and ILO are available to provide technical support to this end. With respect to 2013, there is cautious optimism regarding the performance of the region’s labour markets. If projections of a slight uptick —to 3.5%— in the region’s economic growth in 2013 are borne out, labour indicators should continue to gradually improve. This will bring new increases in real wages and a slight drop of up to 0.2 percentage points in the region’s unemployment rate, reflecting a fresh rise in the regional employment rate and slower growth in labour market participation.

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2015: Challenges in boosting the investment cycle to reinvigorate growth

The 2015 edition of the Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean consists of three parts. Part I outlines the region’s economic performance in 2014 and analyses trends in the first half of 2015, as well as the outlook for the rest of the year. Part II analyses the dynamics of investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, the relationship between investment and the business cycle, the role of public investment, infrastructure gaps and the challenges in financing private investment. Part III of this publication may be accessed on the web page of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (http://www.cepal.org/en/node/33006). It contains the notes relating to the economic performance of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2014 and the first half of 2015, together with their respective statistical annexes, which present the main economic indicators of the countries of the region. The cut-off date for updating the statistical information in this publication was 30 June 2015.

Haematology and histopathology of Nile tilapia parasitised by Epistylis sp., an emerging pathogen in South America

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Challenges in the therapy of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil: a public health perspective

Over 3,000 yearly cases of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) are reported in Brazil. Brazilian Public Health System provides universal free access to antileishmania therapeutic options: Meglumine Antimoniate, Amphotericin B deoxycholate, and Liposomal Amphotericin B. Even though Amphotericin formulations have been advised for severe disease, this recommendation is mostly based on the opinion of experts and on analogy with studies conducted in other countries. Presently, there are two ongoing multicenter clinical trials comparing the efficacy and safety of the available therapeutic options. Some other issues require further clarification, such as severity markers and the approach to VL/AIDS coinfection. Brazil is facing the challenge of providing access to diagnosis and adequate treatment, in order to avoid VL-related deaths.

Advances and challenges in paracoccidioidomycosis serology caused by Paracoccidioides species complex: an update

Understanding the possible methodologies for the rapid and inexpensive identification of fungal infections is essential for disease diagnosis, but there are some limitations. To help with this problem, serological methods that detect antigens or antibodies are widely used and are useful for the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) through the detection of gp43, which is the main antigen employed for the immunodiagnosis of this disease caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. However, the use of gp43 has become restricted because it was recently found that this marker is not identified in the infections caused by Paracoccidioides lutzii. Therefore, it is necessary to identify new antigens in both species or antigens specific for P. lutzii to decrease the morbidity and/or mortality associated with PCM. This review provides a discussion of new diagnostic challenges after the recent discoveries regarding the taxonomy of the Paracoccidioides genus.

Hepatitis C infection: challenges in dental management and diagnosis of extrahepatic manifestations

Hepatitis C is associated with autoimmune diseases, hepatocellular carcinoma,and extrahepatic manifestations that, in conjunction, may seriously compromise the patient's quality of life. We herein describe a case of chronic hepatitis C with oral manifestations and discuss some implications for diagnosis and treatment. A 63-year-old woman complaining of spontaneous bleeding of the oral mucosa presented with bilateral asymmetric ulcers surrounded by white papules and striae on the buccal mucosa. Her medical history revealed leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, and skin lesions associated with chronic hepatitis C. Propranolol and ranitidine had recently been prescribed. Lichen planus, lichenoid reaction, and erythema multiforme were considered in the differential diagnosis. Histopathological analysis revealed lymphocytic infiltrate in a lichenoid pattern. The lesions partially healed after 1 week and completely regressed after 6 months, despite the maintenance of all medications; no recurrence was observed. The final diagnosis was oral lichen planus associated with hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis C may present oral manifestations, which demand adjustments in dental treatment planning. Medication side effects may interfere with the clinical presentation and course of the disease and should be accounted for in the differential diagnosis. The possibility of spontaneous remission of oral lichen planus should always be considered, especially when putative etiological factors of a lichenoid lesion are withdrawn in an attempt to differentiate oral lichen planus from lichenoid lesions. This case emphasizes the importance of recognizing the extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C as a cause of increased morbidity.

Brazil in Africa: Another Emerging Power in the Continent?

This paper develops three basic arguments. First, it presents the basic underpinnings of Brazilian diplomacy in the past half century, concentrating on the changes adopted in the 1980s and the 1990s up to the foreign policy put forward by Lula`s government (2003-2009). It recognises that Lula`s foreign policy represents a step forward, especially where Africa is concerned. However, it does not seem to be clear whether the Brazilian economy has enough strength to sustain such a foreign policy, as is shown in the second part of the paper. This is indeed the case if comparisons are made with India, China and even South Africa, when the latter`s regional role is considered. Finally, an effort is made to summarise the recent political cooperation established between Brazil and African countries as well as to present an overview of Brazil`s trade and investment relations both with the region as a whole and with some important individual partners. Once this picture is established, we investigate whether these realmsdiplomatic/political and economictake independent tracks, or if they do interact in a coherent manner. Africa remained deep inside Brazil and Brazilians, not as something external to ourselves. But as a mythic space; neither geographical, nor historical.