RAG-AMERICAS-2: TRENDS, OPPORTUNITIES AND FUNDS IN LATIN AMERICA

Abstract

Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for major cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death in Latin America, which comprise Central America, Caribbean and South America. It is estimated that up to 40% of the adult in Latin America population have hypertension. Studies done in different cities from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and in Brazil have demonstrated the low rates of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension revealing the difficulty and inadequacy in managing this chronic disease on a population level. In addition, mortality risk associated with hypertension in Latin America significantly exceeds that in developed nations. One characteristic of hypertension in the Latin America is the strong association with metabolic syndrome (type 2 diabetes and lipid abnormalities) or the opposite, children, adolescents, and adults with nutritional stunting. Taking Brazil as an example, the cost in the Unified Health System for treating hypertension was around US$ 534 billion in 2018. However, the research and publication in cardiovascular diseases in Latin America are much lower than in high income countries, despite the high qualified researchers and Universities/Institutes of Research. In Brazil, for instance, the funds from National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the major federal agency that support research in Brazil has been decreasing over the years. Thus, in the face of the high prevalence of hypertension in Brazil and in the other countries of Latin American, not only public health initiatives and policy are needed, but also more funds for clinical and basic research in hypertension.