1
|
Ribeiro MR, Lima MVM, Ilacqua RC, Savoia EJL, Alvarenga R, Vittor AY, Raimundo RD, Laporta GZ. Amazon Wildfires and Respiratory Health: Impacts during the Forest Fire Season from 2009 to 2019. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:675. [PMID: 38928922 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The Brazilian Amazon, a vital tropical region, faces escalating threats from human activities, agriculture, and climate change. This study aims to assess the relationship between forest fire occurrences, meteorological factors, and hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases in the Legal Amazon region from 2009 to 2019. Employing simultaneous equation models with official data, we examined the association between deforestation-induced fires and respiratory health issues. Over the studied period, the Legal Amazon region recorded a staggering 1,438,322 wildfires, with 1,218,606 (85%) occurring during August-December, known as the forest fire season. During the forest fire season, a substantial portion (566,707) of the total 1,532,228 hospital admissions for respiratory diseases were recorded in individuals aged 0-14 years and 60 years and above. A model consisting of two sets of simultaneous equations was constructed. This model illustrates the seasonal fluctuations in meteorological conditions driving human activities associated with increased forest fires. It also represents how air quality variations impact the occurrence of respiratory diseases during forest fires. This modeling approach unveiled that drier conditions, elevated temperatures, and reduced precipitation exacerbate fire incidents, impacting hospital admissions for respiratory diseases at a rate as high as 22 hospital admissions per 1000 forest fire events during the forest fire season in the Legal Amazon, 2009-2019. This research highlights the urgent need for environmental and health policies to mitigate the effects of Amazon rainforest wildfires, stressing the interplay of deforestation, climate change, and human-induced fires on respiratory health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maura R Ribeiro
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Study Design and Scientific Writing, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos V M Lima
- Health Surveillance Department, Acre State Secretary of Health, Rio Branco 69914-220, AC, Brazil
| | - Roberto C Ilacqua
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
| | - Eriane J L Savoia
- Environmental Health Department, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
| | - Rogerio Alvarenga
- Environmental Health Department, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
| | - Amy Y Vittor
- Department of Medicine, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rodrigo D Raimundo
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Study Design and Scientific Writing, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Z Laporta
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, FMABC Medical School University Center, Santo André 09060-870, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Espinoza-Guillen JA, Alderete-Malpartida MB, Navarro-Abarca UF, Gómez-Muñoz HK. Temporal variation of the PM 2.5/PM 10 ratio and its association with meteorological factors in a South American megacity: Metropolitan Area of Lima-Callao, Peru. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:452. [PMID: 38613696 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12611-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
The Metropolitan Area of Lima-Callao (MALC) is a South American megacity that has suffered a serious deterioration in air quality due to high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). Studies on the behavior of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio and its temporal variability in relation to meteorological parameters are still very limited. The objective of this study was to analyze the temporal trends of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio, its temporal variability, and its association with meteorological variables over a period of 5 years (2015-2019). For this, the Theil-Sen estimator, bivariate polar plots, and correlation analysis were used. The regions of highest mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were identified at eastern Lima (ATE station-41.2 µg/m3) and southern Lima (VMT station-126.7 µg/m3), respectively. The lowest concentrations were recorded in downtown Lima (CDM station-16.8 µg/m3 and 34.0 µg/m3, respectively). The highest average PM2.5/PM10 ratio was found at the CDM station (0.55) and the lowest at the VMT station (0.27), indicating a predominance of emissions from the vehicular fleet within central Lima and a greater emission of coarse particles by resuspension in southern Lima. The temporal progression of the ratio of PM2.5/PM10 showed positive and highly significant trends in northern and central Lima with values of 0.03 and 0.1 units of PM2.5/PM10 per year, respectively. In the southern region of Lima, the trend was also significant, showcasing a value of 0.02 units of PM2.5/PM10 per year. At the hourly and monthly level, the PM2.5/PM10 ratio presented a negative and significant correlation with wind speed and air temperature, and a positive and significant correlation with relative humidity. These findings offer insights into identifying the sources of PM pollution and are useful for implementing regulations to reduce air emissions considering both anthropogenic sources and meteorological dispersion patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Abel Espinoza-Guillen
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Av. La Molina S/N, Lima, Perú.
| | | | - Ursula Fiorela Navarro-Abarca
- Departamento Académico de Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Av. La Molina S/N, Lima, Perú
| | - Hanns Kevin Gómez-Muñoz
- Departamento Académico de Física y Meteorología, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Av. La Molina S/N, Lima, Perú
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mylonaki M, Gini M, Georgopoulou M, Pilou M, Chalvatzaki E, Solomos S, Diapouli E, Giannakaki E, Lazaridis M, Pandis SN, Nenes A, Eleftheriadis K, Papayannis A. Wildfire and African dust aerosol oxidative potential, exposure and dose in the human respiratory tract. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169683. [PMID: 38160832 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to wildfire smoke and dust can severely affect air quality and health. Although particulate matter (PM) levels and exposure are well-established metrics linking to health outcomes, they do not consider differences in particle toxicity or deposition location in the respiratory tract (RT). Usage of the oxidative potential (OP) exposure may further shape our understanding on how different pollution events impact health. Towards this goal, we estimate the aerosol deposition rates, OP and resulting OP deposition rates in the RT for a typical adult Caucasian male residing in Athens, Greece. We focus on a period when African dust (1-3 of August 2021) and severe wildfires at the northern part of the Attika peninsula and the Evia island, Greece (4-18 of August 2021) affected air quality in Athens. During these periods, the aerosol levels increased twofold leading to exceedances of the World Health Organization (WHO) [15(5) μg m-3] PM10 (PM2.5) air quality standard by almost 100 %. We show that the OP exposure is 1.5-times larger during the wildfire smoke events than during the dust intrusion, even if the latter was present in higher mass loads - because wildfire smoke has a higher specific OP than dust. This result carries two important implications: OP exposure should be synergistically used with other metrics - such as PM levels - to efficiently link aerosol exposure with the resulting health effects, and, certain sources of air pollution (in our case, exposure to biomass burning smoke) may need to be preferentially controlled, whenever possible, owing to their disproportionate contribution to OP exposure and ability to penetrate deeper into the human RT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mylonaki
- Laser Remote Sensing Unit, Department of Physics, National and Technical University of Athens, Zografou 15780, Greece; Meteorological Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 80333, Germany
| | - Maria Gini
- ENRACT, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Maria Georgopoulou
- Center for the Study of Air Quality and Climate Change, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Patras 26504, Greece
| | - Marika Pilou
- Thermal Hydraulics and Multiphase Flow Laboratory, INRaSTES, NCSR "Demokritos", Agia Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Eleftheria Chalvatzaki
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania 73100, Greece
| | - Stavros Solomos
- Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, Athens 10679, Greece
| | - Evangelia Diapouli
- ENRACT, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Elina Giannakaki
- Department of Environmental Physics and Meteorology, Faculty of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Mihalis Lazaridis
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania 73100, Greece
| | - Spyros N Pandis
- Center for the Study of Air Quality and Climate Change, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Patras 26504, Greece; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Patras 26504, Greece
| | - Athanasios Nenes
- Center for the Study of Air Quality and Climate Change, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Patras 26504, Greece; Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
| | - Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
- ENRACT, Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi 15310, Greece
| | - Alexandros Papayannis
- Laser Remote Sensing Unit, Department of Physics, National and Technical University of Athens, Zografou 15780, Greece; Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gonçalves KDS, Cirino GG, da Costa MO, do Couto LDO, Tortelote GG, Hacon SDS. The potential impact of PM2.5 on the covid-19 crisis in the Brazilian Amazon region. Rev Saude Publica 2023; 57:67. [PMID: 37878853 PMCID: PMC10519675 DOI: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057005134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess covid-19 morbidity, mortality, and severity from 2020 to 2021 in five Brazilian Amazon states with the highest records of wildfires. METHODS A distributed lag non-linear model was applied to estimate the potential exposure risk association with particulate matter smaller than 2.5-µm in diameter (PM2.5). Daily mean temperature, relative humidity, percentual of community mobility, number of hospital beds, days of the week, and holidays were considered in the final models for controlling the confounding factors. RESULTS The states of Para, Mato Grosso, and Amazonas have reported the highest values of overall cases, deaths, and severe cases of covid-19. The worrying growth in the percentual rates in 2020/2021 for the incidence, severity, and mortality were highlighted in Rondônia and Mato Grosso. The growth in 2020/2021 in the estimations of PM2.5 concentrations was higher in Mato Grosso, with an increase of 24.4%, followed by Rondônia (14.9%). CONCLUSION This study establishes an association between wildfire-generated PM2.5 and increasing covid-19 incidence, mortality, and severity within the studied area. The findings showed that the risk of covid-19 morbidity and mortality is nearly two times higher among individuals exposed to high concentrations of PM2.5. The attributable fraction to PM2.5 in the studied area represents an important role in the risk associated with covid-19 in the Brazilian Amazon region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen dos Santos Gonçalves
- Barcelona Institute for Global HealthBiomedical Data Science TeamBarcelonaSpainBarcelona Institute for Global Health. Biomedical Data Science Team. Barcelona, Spain
- Fundação Oswaldo CruzEscola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio AroucaRio de JaneiroRJBrasil Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Glauber G. Cirino
- Universidade Federal do ParáInstituto de GeociênciasBelémPABrasil Universidade Federal do Pará. Instituto de Geociências. Belém, PA, Brasil
| | | | - Lucas de Oliveira do Couto
- Fundação Oswaldo CruzEscola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio AroucaRio de JaneiroRJBrasil Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Giovane G. Tortelote
- Tulane UniversityDepartment of PediatricsNew OrleansUnited States Tulane University. Department of Pediatrics. New Orleans, United States
| | - Sandra de Souza Hacon
- Fundação Oswaldo CruzEscola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio AroucaRio de JaneiroRJBrasil Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Palmeiro-Silva YK, Lescano AG, Flores EC, Astorga E Y, Rojas L, Chavez MG, Mora-Rivera W, Hartinger SM. Identifying gaps on health impacts, exposures, and vulnerabilities to climate change on human health and wellbeing in South America: a scoping review. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2023; 26:100580. [PMID: 37876675 PMCID: PMC10593580 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2023.100580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
There is an important gap in regional information on climate change and health, limiting the development of science-based climate policies in South American countries. This study aims to identify the main gaps in the existing scientific literature on the impacts, exposure, and vulnerabilities of climate change on population health. A scoping review was performed guided by four sub-questions focused on the impacts of climate change on physical and mental health, exposure and vulnerability factors of population to climate hazards. The main findings showed that physical impacts mainly included infectious diseases, while mental health impacts included trauma, depression, and anxiety. Evidence on population exposure to climate hazards is limited, and social determinants of health and individual factors were identified as vulnerability factors. Overall, evidence on the intersection between climate change and health is limited in South America and has been generated in silos, with limited transdisciplinary research. More formal and systematic information should be generated to inform public policy. Funding None.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasna K. Palmeiro-Silva
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centro de Políticas Públicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Andres G. Lescano
- Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Elaine C. Flores
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- The Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yamileth Astorga E
- Escuela de Tecnologías en Salud, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Luciana Rojas
- Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Mario G. Chavez
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Sociedad Científica de San Fernando, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Wendel Mora-Rivera
- InterAmerican Center for Global Health (CISG), Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Escuela de Enfermería, Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Stella M. Hartinger
- Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Health, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ye T, Xu R, Yue X, Chen G, Yu P, Coêlho MSZS, Saldiva PHN, Abramson MJ, Guo Y, Li S. Short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM 2.5 increases mortality risks and burdens in Brazil. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7651. [PMID: 36496479 PMCID: PMC9741581 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35326-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To assess mortality risks and burdens associated with short-term exposure to wildfire-related fine particulate matter with diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), we collect daily mortality data from 2000 to 2016 for 510 immediate regions in Brazil, the most wildfire-prone area. We integrate data from multiple sources with a chemical transport model at the global scale to isolate daily concentrations of wildfire-related PM2.5 at a 0.25 × 0.25 resolution. With a two-stage time-series approach, we estimate (i) an increase of 3.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4, 3.9%) in all-cause mortality, 2.6% (95%CI: 1.5, 3.8%) in cardiovascular mortality, and 7.7% (95%CI: 5.9, 9.5) in respiratory mortality over 0-14 days with each 10 μg/m3 increase in daily wildfire-related PM2.5; (ii) 0.65% of all-cause, 0.56% of cardiovascular, and 1.60% of respiratory mortality attributable to acute exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5, corresponding to 121,351 all-cause deaths, 29,510 cardiovascular deaths, and 31,287 respiratory deaths during the study period. In this study, we find stronger associations in females and adults aged ≥ 60 years, and geographic difference in the mortality risks and burdens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Ye
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Xu Yue
- grid.260478.f0000 0000 9249 2313Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST), Nanjing, 210044 China
| | - Gongbo Chen
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Micheline S. Z. S. Coêlho
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Urban Health Laboratory University of São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine/INSPER, São Paulo, 01246-903 Brazil
| | - Paulo H. N. Saldiva
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Urban Health Laboratory University of São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine/INSPER, São Paulo, 01246-903 Brazil
| | - Michael J. Abramson
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Butt EW, Conibear L, Smith C, Baker JCA, Rigby R, Knote C, Spracklen DV. Achieving Brazil's Deforestation Target Will Reduce Fire and Deliver Air Quality and Public Health Benefits. EARTH'S FUTURE 2022; 10:e2022EF003048. [PMID: 37035439 PMCID: PMC10078148 DOI: 10.1029/2022ef003048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Climate, deforestation, and forest fires are closely coupled in the Amazon, but models of fire that include these interactions are lacking. We trained machine learning models on temperature, rainfall, deforestation, land-use, and fire data to show that spatial and temporal patterns of fire in the Amazon are strongly modified by deforestation. We find that fire count across the Brazilian Amazon increases by 0.44 percentage points for each percentage point increase in deforestation rate. We used the model to predict that the increased deforestation rate in the Brazilian Amazon from 2013 to 2020 caused a 42% increase in fire counts in 2020. We predict that if Brazil had achieved the deforestation target under the National Policy on Climate Change, there would have been 32% fewer fire counts across the Brazilian Amazon in 2020. Using a regional chemistry-climate model and exposure-response associations, we estimate that the improved air quality due to reduced smoke emission under this scenario would have resulted in 2,300 fewer deaths due to reduced exposure to fine particulate matter. Our analysis demonstrates the air quality and public health benefits that would accrue from reducing deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward W. Butt
- School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Luke Conibear
- School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Callum Smith
- School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | | | - Richard Rigby
- School of Earth and EnvironmentUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Christoph Knote
- Model‐based Environmental Exposure ScienceFaculty of MedicineUniversity of AugsburgAugsburgGermany
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kancherla V, Roos N, Walani SR. Relationship between achieving Sustainable Development Goals and promoting optimal care and prevention of birth defects globally. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:773-784. [PMID: 35776686 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Birth defects affect eight million newborns annually worldwide. About 8% of global under-5 mortality is attributable to birth defects. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have set 17 global goals for human growth and development to be achieved by 2030 using multi-sectorial approaches. The third goal (SDG-3) focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being; achieving SDG-3 improves birth defects care and prevention. However, we aimed to show how achieving other SDGs also influence optimal care and prevention of birth defects. SDGs focused on poverty reduction, access to nutritious food, universal health coverage, equitable education, gender equality, environment, inclusivity through infrastructure innovation, and strengthening social justice is crucial to addressing social determinants of health for individuals and families affected by birth defects. Understanding birth defects in the context of several relevant SDGs will allow practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to leverage the momentum generated by SDGs and make a case for commitment and allocation of funding and resources for advancing birth defects surveillance, care, and prevention. SDGs are built on principles of equity and social justice and we urge policy-makers to approach birth defects using various SDGs as a catalyst. The synergy between several SDGs helps to optimize birth defect outcomes and prevention. Our effort to present a more comprehensive look at various SDGs and their relationship with birth defects is parallel to several other health advocacy groups conducting a similar mapping exercise, thus bringing to the forefront millions of lives that are impacted by birth defects worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vijaya Kancherla
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nathalie Roos
- Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Schroeder L, de Souza EM, Rosset C, Marques Junior A, Boquett JA, Francisco Rofatto V, Brum D, Gonzaga L, Zagonel de Oliveira M, Veronez MR. Fire association with respiratory disease and COVID-19 complications in the State of Pará, Brazil. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH - AMERICAS 2022; 6:100102. [PMID: 34870262 PMCID: PMC8632600 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Background Brazil has faced two simultaneous problems related to respiratory health: forest fires and the high mortality rate due to COVID-19 pandemics. The Amazon rain forest is one of the Brazilian biomes that suffers the most with fires caused by droughts and illegal deforestation. These fires can bring respiratory diseases associated with air pollution, and the State of Pará in Brazil is the most affected. COVID-19 pandemics associated with air pollution can potentially increase hospitalizations and deaths related to respiratory diseases. Here, we aimed to evaluate the association of fire occurrences with the COVID-19 mortality rates and general respiratory diseases hospitalizations in the State of Pará, Brazil. Methods We employed machine learning technique for clustering k-means accompanied with the elbow method used to identify the ideal quantity of clusters for the k-means algorithm, clustering 10 groups of cities in the State of Pará where we selected the clusters with the highest and lowest fires occurrence from the 2015 to 2019. Next, an Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average Exogenous (ARIMAX) model was proposed to study the serial correlation of respiratory diseases hospitalizations and their associations with fire occurrences. Regarding the COVID-19 analysis, we computed the mortality risk and its confidence level considering the quarterly incidence rate ratio in clusters with high and low exposure to fires. Findings Using the k-means algorithm we identified two clusters with similar DHI (Development Human Index) and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) from a group of ten clusters that divided the State of Pará but with diverse behavior considering the hospitalizations and forest fires in the Amazon biome. From the auto-regressive and moving average model (ARIMAX), it was possible to show that besides the serial correlation, the fires occurrences contribute to the respiratory diseases increase, with an observed lag of six months after the fires for the case with high exposure to fires. A highlight that deserves attention concerns the relationship between fire occurrences and deaths. Historically, the risk of mortality by respiratory diseases is higher (about the double) in regions and periods with high exposure to fires than the ones with low exposure to fires. The same pattern remains in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the risk of mortality for COVID-19 was 80% higher in the region and period with high exposure to fires. Regarding the SARS-COV-2 analysis, the risk of mortality related to COVID-19 is higher in the period with high exposure to fires than in the period with low exposure to fires. Another highlight concerns the relationship between fire occurrences and COVID-19 deaths. The results show that regions with high fire occurrences are associated with more cases of COVID deaths. Interpretation The decision-make process is a critical problem mainly when it involves environmental and health control policies. Environmental policies are often more cost-effective as health measures than the use of public health services. This highlight the importance of data analyses to support the decision making and to identify population in need of better infrastructure due to historical environmental factors and the knowledge of associated health risk. The results suggest that The fires occurrences contribute to the increase of the respiratory diseases hospitalization. The mortality rate related to COVID-19 was higher for the period with high exposure to fires than the period with low exposure to fires. The regions with high fire occurrences is associated with more COVID-19 deaths, mainly in the months with high number of fires. Funding No additional funding source was required for this study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Schroeder
- Post Graduate Program in Applied Computing, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Vizlab | X-Reality and Geoinformatics Lab, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Clévia Rosset
- Medical Genomics Laboratory, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ademir Marques Junior
- Post Graduate Program in Applied Computing, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Vizlab | X-Reality and Geoinformatics Lab, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | - Juliano André Boquett
- Post-graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Post-graduate Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Diego Brum
- Post Graduate Program in Applied Computing, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Vizlab | X-Reality and Geoinformatics Lab, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | - Luiz Gonzaga
- Post Graduate Program in Applied Computing, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Vizlab | X-Reality and Geoinformatics Lab, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Zagonel de Oliveira
- Vizlab | X-Reality and Geoinformatics Lab, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biology, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | - Mauricio Roberto Veronez
- Post Graduate Program in Applied Computing, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Vizlab | X-Reality and Geoinformatics Lab, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biology, Unisinos University. São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Deciphering Multifactorial Correlations of COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in the Brazilian Amazon Basin. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031153. [PMID: 35162177 PMCID: PMC8834595 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Amazonas suffered greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mortality and fatality rates soared and scarcity of oxygen and healthcare supplies led the health system and funerary services to collapse. Thus, we analyzed the trends of incidence, mortality, and lethality indicators of COVID-19 and the dynamics of their main determinants in the state of Amazonas from March 2020 to June 2021. This is a time-series ecological study. We calculated the lethality, mortality, and incidence rates with official and public data from the Health Department. We used the Prais-Winsten regression and trends were classified as stationary, increasing, or decreasing. The effective reproduction number (Rt) was also estimated. Differences were considered significant when p < 0.05. We extracted 396,772 cases of and 13,420 deaths from COVID-19; 66% of deaths were in people aged over 60; 57% were men. Cardiovascular diseases were the most common comorbidity (28.84%), followed by diabetes (25.35%). Rural areas reported 53% of the total cases and 31% of the total deaths. The impact of COVID-19 in the Amazon is not limited to the direct effects of the pandemic itself; it may present characteristics of a syndemic due to the interaction of COVID-19 with pre-existing illnesses, endemic diseases, and social vulnerabilities.
Collapse
|