News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 30, 2021: Today, Latin American countries don’t come to mind for most people when they think of medical breakthroughs. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that few Latin American countries spend a significant proportion of their GDP on health care. But Latin American innovators have actually been responsible for some of the biggest healthcare innovations. What are these medical breakthroughs, and can we expect any more in the near future? Here are a few you should know of:
Contraceptive Pills
It is no exaggeration to say that modern contraceptive pills have transformed the world. Not only did they help families stay compact and solvent, but they also opened up the world of female sexuality, giving women the chance to take back their sexual power without worrying about unwanted pregnancies. As such, both social and economic realities have changed since its invention.
Behind the invention of the contraceptive pill is Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes. In 1951, he synthesized Norethisterone, the progestin used in the first contraceptives. While he is credited as a co-inventor, without his personal work, the contraceptive pill would have come about much later.
Artificial Hearts
The first artificial heart to be successfully transplanted into a human was made by Dr. Domingo Santo Liotta. Don’t let his Italian name throw you off. While he came from a family of Italian immigrants, he was born and raised in Argentina.
The artificial heart is far from the only innovation of Dr. Liotta’s, but it is the biggest medical breakthrough attributed to him. He is still working on inventions today and has a number of patents around the world.
The Stent
Staying in the cardiovascular world, the creator of the balloon-expandable stent, Julio Palmez, was born and raised in Argentina. This stent has been recognized as an innovation that changed the world. It is used to treat cardiovascular disease and has saved countless lives of people with heart issues. Approximately one million stents are implanted in patients every single year!
Nicotine Patch, Corticosteroids, The DNA Microarray
Uruguayan Alejandro Zaffaroni was responsible for some of the biggest biotech companies in the world. He was also involved in the creation of the nicotine patch, corticosteroids, the DNA microarray and more. He left an indelible impression on the medical world, and is one of the most famous Latin American healthcare innovators.
Smart Glasses
Smart glasses are not a Latin American invention, but the way they are being put to use in Brazil is changing not just worker wellbeing but the construction industry as well. Smart glasses provided by Vuzix Corporation are being used by workers using John Deere machinery. These glasses use augmented reality (AR) technology to make precision work easier and to train workers to use features they may not have known were available. They also keep workers from making mistakes that can lead to accidents, thereby improving worker safety.
What’s Next?
The above medical breakthroughs are still exploited every single day, but many of them occurred years ago. Recently, few major breakthroughs have come from Latin America. This, however, does not mean that there won’t be some major breakthroughs in the near future.
New medical innovations are in development every year, including new types of progressive eyeglasses, wearable health tech, and health apps. Latin American inventors are as invested in the future of health tech as anyone else. While few breakthroughs have come directly from Latin America, many people from the region have worked in their development.
The world is getting smaller and tracing a medical breakthrough to its source is no longer always possible, as collaboration between innovators from different countries is easier than ever. The future of medicine is global, and Latin American countries have as much stake in it as anyone else.
