Geography and public health: analysis of the epidemiological dynamics of meningitis in Brazil, between 2010 and 2019

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the spatiotemporal epidemiological dynamics of meningitis in Brazil, between 2010 and 2019.

METHODS

Descriptive ecological study with cases and deaths due to meningitis in Brazil (2010-2019) in the National Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sistema de Informações de Agravos de Notificação - SINAN). The following analyses were performed: (I) frequency analyses of cases and deaths, prevalence rates, mortality, lethality, Fisher's exact test, and chi-square test; (II) Prais-Winstein regression; and (III) Global, Local Moran's index, and Kernel density.

RESULTS

182,126 cases of meningitis were reported in Brazil, of which 16,866 (9.26%) resulted in death, with prevalence rates of 9.03/100,000 inhabitants, mortality of 0.84/100,000 inhabitants, and lethality of 9.26%. There was a noted trend of decreasing prevalence rates (-9.5%, 95% confidence interval - 95%CI -13.92; -4.96, p<0.01) and mortality (-11.74%, 95%CI -13.92; -9.48, p<0.01), while lethality remained stable (-2.08%, 95%CI -4.9; 0.8; p<0.1941). The majority of cases were viral meningitis (45.7%), among 1-9 years old (32.2%), while the highest proportion of deaths was due to bacterial meningitis (68%), among 40-59 years old (26.3%). In the Moran and Kernel maps of prevalence and mortality rates, municipalities in the South, Southeast, and the capital of Pernambuco in the Northeast stood out with high rates; as for lethality, the North, Northeast, and Southeast coastal areas were highlighted.

CONCLUSION

A decrease in meningitis cases and deaths was found in this study; however, the lethality rate was higher in areas with lower prevalence, emphasizing the need to enhance actions for identifying, monitoring, and providing health care for cases, as well as expanding vaccination coverage.

[Trend in the availability of vaccines in Brazil: PMAQ-AB, 2012, 2014, and 2018]

The objective was to analyze the trend in the availability of vaccines in Brazil and its various regions and states from 2012 to 2018. This cross-sectional study used data from basic units assessed in cycles I (2012), II (2014), and III (2018) of the Brazilian National Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Basic Care (PMAQ-AB). We assessed the availability of the dT, hepatitis B, meningococcal C, polio, pneumococcal 10-valent, MMR, DPT, tetravalent/pentavalent, and human rotavirus vaccines. Identification of trend was performed with weighted least squares regression to estimate annual percent changes. We also verified the relative and absolute differences in prevalence of vaccines. The sample consisted of 13,842 basic health units in Cycle I, 19,752 in Cycle II, and 25,152 in Cycle III. An upward trend was seen in the prevalence of availability of all vaccines investigated during the period, with an increase of 16 percentage points from 2012 to 2018, reaching nearly 70% in 2018. The regions with the largest upward trend were the North (2.9p.p.), Central-West (2.1p.p.), and Northeast (2.0p.p.). There was a visible downward trend in both the availability (-3.3p.p.) and absolute and relative difference (-20p.p.; 0.68) in Rio de Janeiro State. The prevalence of availability of vaccines was low in Brazil, with disparities between regions that become even more pronounced when assessing specific states.

Doenças respiratórias em crianças e adolescentes: um perfil dos atendimentos na atenção primária em Vitória/ES

Objetivo: Identificar as principais causas de atendimento por doenças respiratórias na atenção primária, em Vitória, ES, nos residentes de 0–19 anos, relacionando a gravidade das mesmas com idade e nível socioeconômico, e verificar a variação temporal de frequência desses atendimentos. Métodos: Estudo transversal descritivo dos atendimentos realizados em 2014 nas 30 unidades básicas de saúde do município de Vitória, com dados do sistema de registros eletrônicos Rede Bem Estar. Realizou-se análise descritiva das variáveis sociodemográficas, grupos de diagnóstico e mês de atendimento e regressão logística entre topografia de acometimento do aparelho respiratório e variáveis sociodemográficas. Resultados: Dos 113.252 atendimentos de 0–19 anos, doenças respiratórias constituíram as causas mais frequentes (28.810, 25,43% do total, 40,18% dos atendimentos por doença), destacando-se “Infecções agudas das vias aéreas superiores” (61,35%), “Doenças crônicas das vias aéreas inferiores” (14,60%) e “Outras doenças das vias aéreas superiores” (8,69%). A proporção de atendimentos caiu com a idade e foi maior entre residentes em bairro de menor renda domiciliar média. As vias aéreas superiores foram mais acometidas em todas as faixas etárias, principalmente nas mais avançadas, e nos residentes em bairros de maior renda domiciliar média. Porém, apenas 6% da variância da distribuição segundo topografia de acometimento do aparelho respiratório foi explicada por faixa etária e nível socioeconômico. Observou-se crescimento dos atendimentos nos meses de março a novembro. Conclusões: Doenças respiratórias são agravos de grande impacto na população pediátrica em Vitória. Recomendam-se medidas de prevenção primária e secundária que levem em consideração a multicausalidade envolvida na determinação dessas doenças.