PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES: An approach on the epidemiology of Tuberculosis in the Western Region of the State of Pará
Public policies. Tuberculosis. Brazilian Amazon. National System of Notifiable Diseases.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious and contagious disease that has been present in humanity since its beginnings, being associated with poverty, unhealthy residences, deficient basic sanitation, inefficiency of public policies aimed at combating it, among others, being considered the infectious disease that kills the most in the country world today. The World Health Organization considers Brazil as a country that deserves attention, due to the coefficient of incidence, prevalence and mortality caused by pathology. In the state of Pará, there are seven priority municipalities, considering their high incidence rates, for the National Tuberculosis Control Program, the main government instrument to combat the disease. This research arises from the need to answer the question: what are the real achievements of public policies for the prevention and control of the disease of Tuberculosis in the western region of Pará? Based on the characteristics of both transmission and social factors that help in the spread of the disease, the present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of public policies for the control and treatment of tuberculosis in the western region of Pará. The study was carried out in the municipalities that cover the 9th Regional Health Center - SESPA, in the years 2016 and 2017, through the use of data provided by the National System of Notifiable Diseases - SINAN. From the results obtained, it is possible to infer that despite the efforts made by agents involved in TB control in the region, the growing number of cases of the disease in the 9th CRS region is still worrying. High levels of treatment abandonment cases prevail, but there was also a considerable percentage of cases of cure, the highest incidence of cases occurred in male patients, the type of TB with the highest incidence was pulmonary type. The results point to concern with underreporting, in addition to the confirmation of an increase in new positive cases of Tuberculosis in the coverage area, characterizing as still discreet, but important, the effectiveness of public policies for the prevention and control of the disease of Tuberculosis in the western region of Pará.