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Summaryobjective To analyse the data reported by the national surveillance system of Brazil, including data on diarrhoea mortality and hospital admissions before and after rotavirus vaccine introduction, and evaluate the impact of its widespread use under operational conditions. methodRetrospective analysis of routinely collected data was reported by several surveillance systems of Brazil, comprising an 8-year period of all diarrhoea-related hospitalisations and deaths in children <5 years old (2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009). Linear regressions were used to compare trends of diarrhoea hospitalisations and deaths before and after vaccine introduction (2002-2005 vs. 2006-2009). resultsThere was a long-term reduction in hospitalisations that preceded the introduction of the vaccine. This reduction was more marked in <1-year-old than in 1-to 4-year-old children. All-cause diarrhoea hospitalisations decreased further after vaccine introduction and the decrease was larger in <1-year-old ()35.6%) than in 1-to 4-year-old children ()12.3%). The number of deaths was decreasing before vaccine introduction, and the decrease also accelerated after vaccine introduction, with deaths halving in <1-year-old and decreasing by 32.9% in 1-to 4-year-old children. The linear relationships between hospitalisations and deaths were statistically different before and after vaccine introduction. conclusionsThe data demonstrate a decreasing trend in all-cause diarrhoea-related hospitalisations and deaths in children <5 years of age. These reductions were steeper between 2006 and 2009, highlighting the potential beneficial effect of the rotavirus vaccine associated with all-cause diarrhoeal disease.

People living with HIV are surviving longer on successful antiretroviral therapy and obesity rates are increasing. We sought to determine the prevalence of being overweight or obese in a regional population of people living with HIV and to explore the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with obesity or being overweight. Data on patients attending three Northeast England clinics were collected including body mass index and demographics. The prevalence of being overweight (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m) or obese (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m) was determined and compared with regional population data. Associations between being overweight or obese and demographic and other data were further explored using logistic regression models. In 560 patients studied (median age 45 years, 26% Black-African and 69% male), 65% were overweight/obese and 26% obese, which is similar to the local population. However, 83% and 48% of Black-African women were overweight/obese or obese, respectively, with 11% being morbidly obese (body mass index > 40 kg/m). In the multivariate analyses, the only factors significantly associated with obesity were Black-African race (adjusted odds ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.60-4.85) and type 2 diabetes (adjusted odds ratio 4.23, 95% confidence interval 1.81-9.91). Levels of obesity and overweight in people living with HIV are now comparable to the levels in the local population of Northeast England; however, the prevalence is significantly higher in Black-African women. Given the additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease inherent in people living with HIV, better strategies to prevent, identify and manage obesity in this population are needed.

Children and adolescents on the streets are a common and underestimated occurrence in Maceió and Arapiraca. They have similar characteristics to street children from other countries and other cities in Brazil. The method of capture-recapture seems to be suited to study populations such as street children.