BIREME
The Latin American and Caribbean Center for Information (or BIREME as it is widely known from its previous name 'Biblioteca Regional de Medicina') is the regional centre for technical co-operation in health sciences information. It coordinates a network of libraries, documentation and information centres on health-related technical and scientific information. It is developing a virtual library that includes full-text electronic journals from the region (SCIELO) and a database of abstracts and citations of Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS). The information is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. http://www.bireme.br/

BIREME: Virtual Health Library
This site is the Virtual Health Library of BIREME. The ‘health information locator’ section contains links to regional and country websites by broad subject, specialties and institutions and keyword search access. It also includes a health terminology database and links to SCIELO, a regional scientific e-journal library. The information is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. http://www.bireme.br/bvs/I/ihome.htm

Caribbean Disaster Information Network (CARDIN)
CARDIN provides linkages with Caribbean disaster organizations, to widen the scope of the collection of disaster related information and to ensure improved access to such material. This site contains a database of disaster information in English, French, Spanish and Dutch plus regional newsletters, contacts and a discussion forum. The Library of the University of the West Indies at Mona is responsible for the information collection and database management. http://wwwcardin.uwimona.edu.jm:1104/home.htm

Confederación Iberoamericana de Medicina Familiar (CIMF)
CIMF is the regional affiliate of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). The content is targeted to family doctors in Latin America, Spain and Portugal. It contains information about CIMFactivities and publications and in Spanish.http://www.cimfweb.org/

Consumer Health: Spanish Sites
This site consists of links to Spanish language consumer health information. Primarily from U.S. sources, many of the sites have basic, full text information that is of use to a Spanish speaking population. Some of the links have brief annotations. The site is maintained by the Loma Linda Medical University, U.S. http://www.llu.edu/llumc/jmlic/chsites.htm#Spanish

Disasters info Disastres
The site is a gateway to websites and full-text publications that relate to disaster management in the Caribbean and Latin American. The links include regional organizations and courses in disaster management. The site is available in English and Spanish and is maintained by the Pan American Health Organization. http://www.disaster.info.desastres.net/socios_eng.htm

Health Information Locator
BIREME’s ‘health information locator’ is a gateway to annotated, including language of site, links. The site contains links to medical specialties, atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, diseases, and ‘public health’ themes. It includes a keyword search engine and is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The site contains numerous global links as well as regional ones highlighting those in Spanish and Portuguese. http://lis.bvs.br/xml2html/xmlListT.php?xml[]=http://lis.bvs.br/lis-Regional/I/define.xml&xsl=http://lis.bvs.br/lis-Regional/home.xsl

Hispanic Health Beliefs and Practices: Mexican and Mexican-Americans (Clinical Notes)
The site summarizes the health care needs and perspective of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. It contains numerous links to Spanish primary care and consumer health sites. The site is a useful overview for non-Hispanic individuals working in this environment. It is maintained by Charles Kemp, Baylor University, U.S. http://www3.baylor.edu/~Charles_Kemp/hispanic_health.htm

INFOMED
The site provides information on healthcare in Cuba including addresses of hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. It contains links to a wide range of fulltext Cuban medical journals and information on upcoming conferences. The site is in Spanish and includes a search engine and subject directory to health topics. hhttp://www.cubasolidarity.net/infomed/www.infomed.sld.cu/indice.html

Información de Salud para los Consumidores en Español
The site is a gateway that emphasizes Spanish language consumer health information. The links are organized by broad subject category and contain brief annotations. The site is maintained by the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section, Medical Library Association, U.S. The main target audience is the Spanish-speaking population of the U.S. but much of the material may be valuable for Latin America. http://www.caphis.mlanet.org/resources/CHISspanish.html

Latin American Network Information Center: Health and Medical Sciences
This gateway contains links to health sites in Latin America. It is organized by region, country and broad subject categories. The site includes a keyword search engine and is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. It is maintained by The University of Texas at Austin, U.S. http://www.lanic.utexas.edu/la/region/health/index.html

Medical Spanish Sites
This site contains an annotated listing of Spanish, English, and Multi-lingual medical dictionaries, translators, glossaries, and search engines. Many of the links are subject specific (pharmacology, public health, ophthalmology). The site is maintained by the South Texas Community College, U.S. http://www.stcc.cc.tx.us/library/guides/medicalspanish.htm

Medical Spanish Sites on the Internet
The site contains a listing of links to medical Spanish sites. It includes links to vocabulary, grammar and translation, conversational Spanish and cultural/social aspects of Hispanic Health Care. On the initial page, click on the bottom link of the 'Nursing Tasks in Medical Spanish' list. http://www.lamc.utexas.edu/~orkelm/nurse/nursespanish.html

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
The site contains information about the programs of PAHO, the 45 member WHO regional organization for the Americas. It includes policy statements, technical reports, country health profiles, publications, contains numerous full-text documents and is in English and Spanish. http://www.paho.org/

Viva La Vida Sana: Recursos Sobre la Salud para Bibliotecarios que hablan Espanol
This Spanish language site contains links to mostly U.S. based sites that contain Spanish language public and consumer health websites. The site is targeted mainly to health information workers and educators. It is maintained by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, U.S.http://nnlm.gov/train/vive/vivelavida.html

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The Gateways Latin America page of INASP Health Links is advised by Paul Losch of the Latin American Collection, University of Florida Libraries, U.S.A..
Help us to improve INASP Health Links. Please send your comments and suggestions to: [email protected]