Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania chagasi is a growing public-health problem in many parts of the New World. Although several studies have focused on the consequences of environmental damage, human migration and land occupation on the incidence of VL, the effects on the disease of the substandard living conditions that often result from the process of urbanization have not been investigated in detail. The present study was based in the Brazilian city of Teresina, where, since 1980, there have been two large outbreaks of VL (one in 1981-1985 and the other in 1993-1996), each involving at least 1000 newly reported cases. The role of household structure and the provision of urban services in the city, as predictors of the occurrence of VL, was studied in a case-control investigation. After controlling for age, crowding, and the background incidence of VL in the area where the subjects lived, the risk of acquiring the disease was found to be significantly higher for those who lived in houses with an inadequate sewage system and those who had no regular rubbish collection. Improving household structure and providing basic urban services might be effective strategies for controlling the spread of VL in urban areas.

No abstract

Percepção da enfermagem sobre condições de trabalho em unidades de saúde da família na Paraíba -BrasilNursing's perception regarding the work conditions at family health units in

No abstract

Este estudo objetivou verificar como acontece a abordagem às Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis pelos profissionais de saúde; trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva, de caráter qualitativo. Os dados coletados em 2008, por meio de entrevista com médicos/enfermeiros das Unidades Básicas de Saúde da Família do Município de Campina Grande, Estado da Paraíba, e tratados por meio de análise de conteúdo. A abordagem às doenças sexualmente transmissíveis varia nas diferentes unidades; está centrada no modelo biomédico ou de vigilância em saúde; e a atenção volta-se, prioritariamente, para as mulheres. Constata-se a necessidade de mudanças na lógica de abordagem às doenças transmitidas pelo sexo, incluindo o público masculino.