Presentation

Abstract

I am honored to introduce the first issue of the Salud Publica journal edited with the essential support and participation of the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province.

This new collection, aimed at health workers and the wider scientific and academic community as well, reflects the commitment of professionals from the Directorate of Research at the Floreal Ferrara School of Health Governance, within the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province. 

The Iberoamerican Society of Scientific Information (SIIC), with its 43 years of experience in the responsible communication of national and international biomedical news, supports this initiative.

Objectives of Salud Publica

The field of public/collective health is immersed in intense debates that embrace its object of study and intervention. It is no coincidence that at this particular moment in Argentina, there is an attempt to go back to the old recipes of healthcare systems that have failed worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic that scourged humanity would still seem insufficient to understand that the right to healthcare and the State’s role as its guarantor are an inseparable and integral part of democratic countries in the XXI century.

In this sense, the Salud Publica journal firmly believes that the State should promote public policies aimed at addressing the problems that hinder public access to a quality attention while also fostering the knowledge and sense of daily praxis of healthcare teams at their work environments.

Research in health constitutes a major and necessary contribution to validate and improve practices. Hence, these contributions should be focused to offer the best scientific validated evidence for decision making, both at the micro as well as the meso-management level in health systems.

This journal will share research from healthcare centres of Buenos Aires and from those, at anywhere in Argentina or Latin America, that contribute to the debate on health systems from the rights and equity perspective.

Sections of the journal

As regards the sections that comprise this journal, we highlight the “Original articles” one, made up of exclusive and unpublished studies, peer-reviewed, selected with scientific rigor in accordance with international conventions in the field.

Texts on “Good practices” provide health research or interventions with beneficial results for the community.

At the “Opinion articles” section, renowned experts reflect on and delve into key issues pertaining to public health.

“Short communications” describe innovative methodologies with potential utility and detail preliminary study results carried out in the field.

“Special reports” display strategic information on public policies or programs.

“Our America counts” addresses medicine and health events reported by specialized media, government agencies, professional associations, and Iberoamerican scientific institutions, with a scientific-journalistic style.

The integral and objective summaries of “Shared science” offer a selection of recent works, edited by prestigious biomedical sources of our America and the world.

Content of the first issue

The importance of the health work force has been the focal point of this first issue of the collection. The essential treatment of this topic is closely linked to the critical situation currently facing the Argentine healthcare model. Although financed with an investment exceeding 10% of the gross domestic product, it is impossible to preserve its attention scheme with professionals whose tasks are performed in fragmented ways.

While multi-employment represents one of the most well- known consequences of such fragmentation, it is not the only phenomenon to address when it comes to healthcare work.

In this and upcoming issues of the Salud publica journal, we Will analyze and discuss the situation regarding training spaces, residencies, medical specialties, the professionalization of nursing, the role of health workers and promoters, as well as the gender perspective in healthcare work, among other topics.

We kindly invite our readers to contribute their insights, opinions, and research, as we aim for Salud publica to serve as a tool for reflection with an eye toward action.

Those of us who take part in this journal Will be delighted to know that its use contributes to the strengthening of collective health and the management of the services that oversee and guarantee it.