The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) organized a five-day workshop on medical health reporting for journalists from Latin America. Participants interacted with physicians, scientists and veteran medical journalists Oct. 17 to 23, 2004, in Panama City.

Twenty-four participants were selected from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. The program enabled these journalists to enhance their understanding of the following health issues and how to cover them: HIV/AIDS; threats of environmental contamination; cancer and tobacco-related diseases; and medical investigations using the Internet. Some of the sessions were led by scientists from the prestigious National Institutes of Health. In other sessions, the group focused on reporting and researching techniques under the leadership of experienced health and medical journalists.

Among the NIH institutes participating in the program were the National Institute of Cancer, the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, and the Fogarty International Center.