Zone 4: Northern South America

Prof. Dr. Belfort, Edgard
Professor. Postgraduate Psychiatric Training. Venezuelan Central University.
Head Department of Child Psychiatry, Caracas Psychiatric Hospital. Av. Libertador. Edif Majestic. Piso 14. No. 148. Caracas 1050 Venezuela.
Email:wpazone4@cantv.net / secretariaapal@cantv.net / belfort.ed@excite.com
Tel 58-212- 763.11.84. Fax 58-212- 232.11.04. Mobile 414-237.60.79

ZONE CHARACTERISTICS
WPA Northern South America Zone is a region of five countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela).

General Information
Bolivia is a country with an approximate area of 1099 thousand sq.km. Its population is 8.142 million. (WHO,2000).The country is a lower middle income group country (based on World Bank 2000 criteria). The proportion of health budget to GDP is 5.8% (WHO, 2000). The literacy rate is 91.3 % for males and 77.8 % for females. The life expectancy at birth is 60.7 years for males and 62.2 years for females.

Colombia is a country with an approximate area of 1139 thousand sq.km. Its population is 41.564 million. (WHO,2000).The country is a lower middle income group country (based on World Bank 2000 criteria). The proportion of health budget to GDP is 9.3% (WHO, 2000). The literacy rate is 91.3 % for males and 91 .2 % for females. The life expectancy at birth is 68.1 years for males and 74.1 years for females.

Ecuador is a country with an approximate area of 284 thousand sq.km. Its population is 12.411 million. (WHO,2000).The country is a lower middle income group country (based on World Bank 2000 criteria). The proportion of health budget to GDP is 4.6% (WHO, 2000). The literacy rate is 92.5 % for males and 88.7 % for females. The life expectancy at birth is 67.4 years for males and 70.3 years for females.

Peru is a country with an approximate area of 1285 thousand sq.km. Its population is 25.23 million. (WHO,2000).The country is a lower middle income group country (based on World Bank 2000 criteria). The proportion of health budget to GDP is 5.6%.The literacy rate is 94.2 % for males and 84.3 % for females. The life expectancy at birth is 65.6 years for males and 69.1 years for females.

Venezuela,Bolivarian Republic of, is a country with an approximate area of 912 thousand sq. km. Its population is 25.226 million (2004).The rate of annual growth of the population (%), 1992 to 2002 is 2.1. The proportion of health budget to GDP is 3.9% and the GDP per capita (Intl $, 2001): is the 6,402. The percentage of population over 60 years is 6.9, with a predominantly young population of 54, 4 % under 25 years. The life expectancy at birth is 71 years for male and 76.8 for females and the child mortality m/f (per 1000) is the 23/19.

• Scientific advances to a better care of the mental patients in the zone.
• Better link between Societies' members and the WPA.
• Mental health' programs on partnership and the care of mental health patient.

• To encourage WPA publication material (journals, news and bulletin), and provide the societies' member.
• To promote the Latin America' Consensus jointly with The Americas Zone.
• Major use of WPA educational programs, with the support from the EC, or the Secretary of Education.
• To prepare a economical plan (support), for the activities of the zone.
• More regular meetings of the Board in internationals and regional events.
• To evaluate the Zone' interest about the scientific activities.
• To evaluate the Zone' needs about assistance, education and research.
• Joint the achievements of different activities among zones (grouped by area). For example, the Americas zone according with requirements and opportunities.
• To evaluate in those different zones, programs of continuous medical education, to look for weaknesses and opportunities of improvement.
• To promote some set in the WPA News, for zones' information.
• Major zone promotion through electronic tools of the WPA Website.
• To look for routes (alliances), with the zonal representatives and their governments. (EC).
• To share out the new issue Spanish edition of World Psychiatry Association, to the Zone 4.
• Look for social- demographic information of the infantile population in the WHO offices in order to plan activities on the childhood area.
• To promote guidelines of approach and treatments of the mental disorder, adapted to the reality of the zone.
• To prepare the Zonal Meeting, jointly with The Americas Zone. "Working together towards a Consensus on Mental Health", March. 2006, Caracas, Venezuela.