GLADERPO (Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio de Enfermedades Reumáticas en Pueblos Originarios) began in 2009. This group complies with the objective of performing epidemiological, anthropological and genetic studies related to rheumatic diseases in the indigenous peoples of Latin America, placed within the framework of a regional effort. Since 2023, GLADERPO is a new PANLAR study group.

Currently, studies have already been completed in 11 communities in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela, and 30 papers have been published in indexed journals.

Group Objectives

• To estimate the prevalence of rheumatic diseases using the Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) methodology.
• To describe illness experiences and the help-seeking process.
• To define priority problems related to the disabling effects of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases and to identify possible solutions to these problems.
• To identify the regions of the genome associated with the presence of disease, susceptibility genes and variants that increase the risk of developing these diseases.
• To design community-based participatory (CBPR) strategy and community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program for indigenous people living with musculoskeletal diseases and rheumatic disease.
• To design and implement a program for the development of cultural competencies for health professionals and execution of a support network between the different levels of care with the aim of improving healthcare access.
   

Projects
 

Completed:

• Application of the COPCORD methodology in the countries participating in GLADERPO.
  
   

Ongoing:

• Inclusion of new Indigenous communities in Colombia and application of the same methodology.
• Educational strategies for the community on rheumatic diseases and for healthcare professionals.
• Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of a community-based care model to reduce syndemics in the Maya-Yucateco population of Mexico.
  
   

Planned:

• Implementation of the “Waraitaa – Andá” macro-project, a culturally sensitive initiative aimed at reducing health inequities and gaps in ethnic communities of the Colombian Caribbean.
   

Publications
 

• Cadena-Trejo C, Motte-García E, de Oca-Cuadros PM, Peláez-Ballestas I. Health Equity: A Challenging Outcome Measure in Rheumatic Global Health. J Rheumatol. 2024 Jul 1;51(7):651-653. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.2024-0391.
• Ramírez-Flores MF, Cadena-Trejo C, Motte-García E, Juárez-Cruz ID, Fernandez-García MV, Gastelum-Strozzi A, Alpizar-Rodriguez D, Hernandez-Garduño A, Peláez-Ballestas I. A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review on Syndemics in Rheumatology. J Clin Rheumatol. 2023 Apr 1;29(3):113-117. doi: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000001915.
• Villarreal-Jimenez E, Lores-Peniche JA, Pelaez-Ballestas I, Cruz-Martín G, Flores-Aguilar D, García H, Gutiérrez AV, Ayora-Manzano H, López K, Loyola-Sanchez A. Co-design of a Community-based Rehabilitation Program to Decrease Musculoskeletal Disabilities in a Mayan-Yucateco Municipality. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2023;17(3):e7-e8.
• Villarreal-Jimenez E, Lores-Peniche JA, Pelaez-Ballestas I, Cruz-Martín G, Flores-Aguilar D, García H, Gutiérrez AV, Ayora-Manzano H, López K, Loyola-Sanchez A. Co-design of a Community-based Rehabilitation Program to Decrease Musculoskeletal Disabilities in a Mayan-Yucateco Municipality. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2023;17(3):405-417.
• Granados Y, Gastelum Strozzi A, Alvarez-Nemegyei J, Quintana R, Julian-Santiago F, Santos AM, Guevara-Pacheco S, Loyola-Sanchez A, Goycochea-Robles MV, Juarez V, Garza-Elizondo MA, Rueda JC, Burgos-Vargas R, Londoño J, Pons-Estel BA, Pelaez-Ballestas I; Latin American Study Group of Rheumatic Diseases in Indigenous Peoples (GLADERPO). Inequity and vulnerability in Latin American Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations with rheumatic diseases: a syndemic approach. BMJ Open. 2023 Mar 23;13(3):e069246. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069246.
• Quintana R, Juárez V, Aciar M, Nieto R, Crespo ME, Goñi M, Estrella N, Buschiazzo E, Cucchiaro N, Picco E, Fernandez S, Honeri A, Lombardo E, Bensi A, Calvo ME, Peláez-Ballestas I, Valdata M, Pons-Estel B. Artritis reumatoidea en pueblos originarios de Argentina. Estudio multimétodo y colaborativo. Autoinmunidad 2023; 8(25):1-6. ISSN: 2545-6032.
• Juárez V, Buschiazzo E, Quintana R, Pons-Estel B. Acceso a la atención especializada y seguimiento clínico en un grupo de pacientes con artritis reumatoide de la comunidad Wichí en Salta: otra mirada sobre el ejercicio de nuestra profesión. Rev. Argent. Reumatol. 2024;35(1):01-02. Disponible en: Revista SAR.
   

Submitted for publication:
 

• Cadena-Trejo C, Motte-García E, Ramírez-Flores MF, Gastelum-Strozzi A, Loyola-Sánchez A, Fernández-García MV, Castillo-Hernández K, López-Herrera K, Buskens E, Lahr M, Peláez-Ballestas I. Reducing syndemics of non-communicable chronic diseases in Mayan Indigenous population through community-based participatory research: a mixed-methods study protocol. BMJ Open. 2025.