equipocesca » Social inequality and health http://equipocesca.org Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:26:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 Covid-19, structure and conjuncture, ideology and politics http://equipocesca.org/en/english-covid-19-structure-and-conjuncture-ideology-and-politics-2/ http://equipocesca.org/en/english-covid-19-structure-and-conjuncture-ideology-and-politics-2/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2020 16:16:03 +0000 Pedro Gérvas http://equipocesca.org/?p=5906584 No one knows very well how to save the capitalist economy from its own general and pandemic debacles. There are only conjectures. They seem to express an ideological and desiderative a priori rather than a realistic and rigorous analysis of the present state of affairs: neoliberals stubbornly demanding for more market and lesser state (as if there had not been enough thanatic doses of laissez faire), and neo Keynesians candidly demanding less market and more state (as if today’s late capitalism, hyper-globalized and hyper-concentrated, allowed just returning to the good old days of the welfare post-war Nation-State). The fact is that neither party escapes the framework that encloses them.
Humanity seems to have entered blind folded into the eye of the storm, in a crisis of civilization. Its only difference with the Greek goddess Themis is its unbalanced scales and its blunt sword.
  • Covid-19, structure and conjuncture, ideology and politics. Petruccelli A, F Mare. Neuquén, Argentina. Mayo 2020. Download article here.
]]> http://equipocesca.org/en/english-covid-19-structure-and-conjuncture-ideology-and-politics-2/feed/ 0 COVID-19 meets slums: drug cartels respond to the pandemic http://equipocesca.org/en/english-covid-19-meets-slums-drug-cartels-respond-to-the-pandemic/ http://equipocesca.org/en/english-covid-19-meets-slums-drug-cartels-respond-to-the-pandemic/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2020 15:53:08 +0000 Pedro Gérvas http://equipocesca.org/?p=5906572 From an epidemiological perspective favelas need to be protected not only due to population density, but also given the high social vulnerability; in view of equity, a key principle of the SUS. However, when protective measures are guided by crime organizations instead of by the government itself, we question whether the former have greater humanitarian concern than the latter.

  • COVID-19 meets slums: drug cartels respond to the pandemic. LS Ribeiro, DM Gonzaga, M P den Burg, J Gérvas. Río de Janeiro, Brazil. June 2020. Download article here.
This paper was published in the Rev Bras Med Fam Comunidade. Rio de Janeiro, 2021 Jan-Dez; 16(43):2675 “Drug cartels respond to the pandemic”
]]> http://equipocesca.org/en/english-covid-19-meets-slums-drug-cartels-respond-to-the-pandemic/feed/ 0 Social egg freezing (oocyte banking for anticipated gamete exhaustion). Ethical, practical and social problems http://equipocesca.org/en/english-social-egg-freezing-oocyte-banking-for-anticipated-gamete-exhaustion-ethical-practical-and-social-problems/ http://equipocesca.org/en/english-social-egg-freezing-oocyte-banking-for-anticipated-gamete-exhaustion-ethical-practical-and-social-problems/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 19:54:09 +0000 Pedro http://equipocesca.org/?p=5906130 This text has two objectives: 1/to draw attention to an important issue in women’s health; and 2/to help train health professionals by providing evidence-based information about and criteria for what is called “social egg freezing.” Why don’t we extract eggs or ovarian tissue from women who are still young and then freeze and store them until they are needed at a later age? At first glance, this may seem to be a kind of preventive measure, one that could achieve “better health of the embryo”, that “buys time” and allows “breathing”, since freezing offers a de facto stopping of the clock. Regression and atresia of eggs are avoided, since frozen eggs remain as they were when initially removed many years earlier.

Unfortunately, however, only the eggs or ovarian tissue fragments remain the same: real time passes for the woman herself, her own body ages, so that if she becomes pregnant at a much later time, more complications are expected in pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Freezing eggs and ovarian tissue fragments for use in reproduction for social causes raises serious ethical, practical and social issues that require reflection to prevent “normalization” and trivialization and to ensure there is no medical violence against women.

  • Social egg freezing (oocyte banking for anticipated gamete exhaustion). Ethical, practical and social problems. Juan Gérvas and Mercedes Perez-Fernandez. Madrid (Spain) September 2015. Download whole document here.
]]> http://equipocesca.org/en/english-social-egg-freezing-oocyte-banking-for-anticipated-gamete-exhaustion-ethical-practical-and-social-problems/feed/ 0 “Dr Cholesterol” against the “British Medical Journal”. Do not measure your cholesterol, be happy http://equipocesca.org/en/english-dr-cholesterol-against-the-british-medical-journal-do-not-measure-your-cholesterol-be-happy/ http://equipocesca.org/en/english-dr-cholesterol-against-the-british-medical-journal-do-not-measure-your-cholesterol-be-happy/#comments Mon, 26 May 2014 17:55:26 +0000 Pedro http://equipocesca.org/?p=5905823 The British Medical Journal has had problems with two papers about primary prevention of coronary artery disease (heart disease). Both papers have data that demonstrate statins have no use in primary prevention for most patients. The British Medical Journal problems relate to power, money and censorship. In this text a teacher explain the situation to her students.

  • “Dr Cholesterol” against the “British Medical Journal”. Do not measure your cholesterol, be happy. Gérvas J. August, 2014. Download document here. Download whole document here.
]]> http://equipocesca.org/en/english-dr-cholesterol-against-the-british-medical-journal-do-not-measure-your-cholesterol-be-happy/feed/ 0 Health and politics: a not so innocent relationship http://equipocesca.org/en/salud-y-politica-una-relacion-sin-inocencia-2/ http://equipocesca.org/en/salud-y-politica-una-relacion-sin-inocencia-2/#comments Tue, 15 Oct 2013 06:02:01 +0000 Pedro http://equipocesca.org/?p=5905426 Democracy is associated with a better level of health, but not all democratic policies bring about the same health results, or the same alternatives as regards the organisation of services. In Spain there in an association between right-wing governments and less interest in primary health care.

]]> http://equipocesca.org/en/salud-y-politica-una-relacion-sin-inocencia-2/feed/ 0 Primary health care oriented systems, for whom, why and how http://equipocesca.org/en/primary-health-care-oriented-systems-for-whom-why-and-how/ http://equipocesca.org/en/primary-health-care-oriented-systems-for-whom-why-and-how/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:11:47 +0000 Pedro http://www.equipocesca.org/?p=5903665 Health systems are social products, and as such they cannot being invented. They are expression of the final election between “freedom” and “equity”. Freedom means that each person may select and pay for the needed health services. Equity means solidarity, to help those in need even at the cost that are fit. Only the USA lacks an universal public health system; but countries as Germany, Japan and Switzerland, and others also favours “freedom”. “Equity” is important in countries like Denmark, Spain and the UK, and others, where primary health care is important.

  • Primary health care oriented systems, for whom, why and how. Gérvas J. In: A symposium celebrating the scientific and policy legacy of Bárbara Starfield. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. May 10th 2012. Download English text here.
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