This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Family Health Strategy after implementation of the More Physicians Program (MPBP) in the territory of Marajó-Pa-Brazil through an historical series of four primary care indicators during 2011-2015: population coverage, proportion of live births to mothers with/without prenatal consultations, hospitalization rates due to primary care sensitive condition (taxas de internações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária - ICSAP) and infant mortality rate. A trend of improvement was evident after implementation of the MPBP in 2013, achieving 42.8% of coverage in December 2015. In April 2014, all 16 municipalities had established teams with physicians. The proportion of live births to mothers with/without prenatal consultations showed increasing trends in most municipalities, increasing by 97% on average, predominantly with seven consultations or more and reducing the proportion of live births to mothers without prenatal visits. The infant mortality rate achieved a downward trend starting in 2014. The results indicate improvements in primary care based on the selected indicators, boosting the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in the studied region.

Background The emergence of the new causative agent of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the city of Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and its spread worldwide, led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic. The disease has caused high mortality among traditional populations and the most socially vulnerable groups such indigenous and refugees. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the population of Venezuelan indigenous Warao refugees residing in private and public shelters in the city of Belem, capital of Para State, in the Brazilian Amazon. Methods One hundred one individuals of both sexes (43 men and 58 women) with ages varying from 18 to 77 years (average of 36 years) were investigated. Whole blood samples were collected and subsequently separated into plasma and leukocytes. Serological analysis was performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - ELISA (Anti-SARS-COV-2 S1 IgG, EUROIMMUN, USA). Results The results indicate a positive serum prevalence of 83.2% (84), of which 77.6% (45/58) were females and 90.7% (39/43) were males. An indeterminate profile was observed in 6.9% (7), where it was not possible to confirm the presence of antibodies, and 9.9% (10) individuals were negative for IgG antibodies. Conclusions The finding of the high seroprevalence of IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies reveals a high exposure of the Warao population in Belem to infection with the new coronavirus. These results underscore the importance of maintaining epidemiological surveillance with testing in traditional populations due to the high possibility of spreading the virus, especially among the most socioeconomically vulnerable groups, which depend exclusively on the Unified Health System (SUS), such as refugees and indigenous people.

IntroductionHuman T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) infection is endemic in indigenous populations of the Americas. We describe herein the prevalence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infection among Warao indigenous refugees from Venezuela living in Belém, Pará, Brazil.MethodsIn total, 101 individuals of both sexes (43 men and 58 women) between 18 and 77 years of age were investigated. Blood samples were collected and separated into plasma and leukocytes. Serological screening was performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Murex HTLV-I+II, DiaSorin, Dartford, UK), and seropositive samples were submitted to proviral DNA extraction followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). A nested PCR of the env region (630 bp) followed by enzymatic digestion with XhoI was performed to identify the molecular subtype of HTLV-2, in addition to sequencing analysis of the 5'LTR-I and 5′-LTR-II regions.ResultsOf the 101 individuals analyzed, 3 (3.0%) were seropositive. Molecular analysis of the pol and tax genes confirmed the HTLV-1 infection in a 55-year-old woman and HTLV-2 infection in a man (68 years old) and a woman (23 years old). HTLV-2 strains were defined by enzymatic digestion as belonging to the HTLV-2b subtype. The sequencing of the 5′LTR regions confirmed the presence of subtype 2b and identified HTLV-1 as belonging to subtype 1A (Cosmopolitan) and the Transcontinental subgroup. Among the infected patients, it was possible to conduct medical interviews with two individuals after delivery of the result. One patient with HTLV-2 reported symptoms such as joint pain, foot swelling, frequent headache, dizziness and lower back pain. The HTLV-1-positive woman was diagnosed with a tumor, dementia, urinary incontinence, felt body pain, and had spots on her body. The presence of the HTLV-2b subtype highlights the prevalence of this molecular variant among indigenous South Americans, as well as the presence of HTLV-1 Transcontinental, which has a worldwide distribution.ConclusionThese results reveal a high prevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection among Warao immigrants, suggesting migratory flow as a virus spread mechanism among human populations and alert public authorities to the need to create epidemiological surveillance programs, public social and health policies aimed at welcoming immigrants in the Brazilian territory.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pedagogical strategy of Paulo Freire's culture circles in adherence to self-care in patients with Diabetes Mellitus. A randomized clinical test was performed with 72 participants, allocated into Intervention Group (IG) and Control Group (CG).The IG participated in six circles to discuss and unveil the generative themes: diet, medication, diabetes complications and foot care; the CG participated only in routine consultations. The change provided by the circles after three months of intervention was evaluated through the Diabetes Self-Care Activity Questionnaire, fasting capillary glycemia, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, body mass index and abdominal circumference. The IG showed a statistically significant increase in self-care adherence to healthy diet, physical exercise, glycemic monitoring and examination and drying of the feet and reduced fasting capillary glycemia (211.6 ± 102.5 to 181.9 ± 66.3 mg/dL), systolic arterial pressure 125(120-140) to 120(117.5-130 mmHg) and abdominal circumference (96.3 ± 9.5 to 95.5 ± 9.1 cm), while in the CG there were no changes during the study. The culture circles, as an educational approach, were able to improve the self-care adherence practices of patients with diabetes and provide improvement in some cardiovascular risk parameters. KEYWORDSHealth education. Diabetes Mellitus. Self care. Family Health Strategy. RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar a estratégia pedagógica dos círculos de cultura de Paulo Freire na adesão ao autocuidado em pacientes com Diabetes Mellitus. Foi realizado um ensaio clínico randomizado com 72 participantes, alocados em Grupo Intervenção (GI) e Grupo Controle (GC). O GI participou de seis círculos para problematizar e desvelar os temas geradores: alimentação, medicação, complicações do diabetes e cuidados com os pés; o GC participou apenas de consultas de rotina. Foi avaliada a mudança proporcionada pelos círculos após três meses de intervenção, por meio do Questionário de Atividades de Autocuidado com o Diabetes, glicemia capilar em jejum, pressão arterial sistólica e diastólica, Índice de Massa Corpórea e circunferência abdominal. O GI apresentou aumento estatisticamente significante na adesão ao autocuidado à alimentação saudável, prática de exercício físico, monitoramento glicêmico e exame e secar os pés e redução da glicemia capilar em jejum (211,6±102,5 para 181,9±66,3 mg/dL), pressão arterial sistólica de 125(120-140) para 120 (117, e circunferência abdominal (96,3±9,5 para 95,5±9,1 cm), enquanto no GC não houve modificação durante o estudo. Os círculos de cultura, como abordagem educativa, foram capazes de melhorar as práticas de adesão ao autocuidado dos pacientes com diabetes e proporcionar a melhora em alguns parâmetros de risco cardiovascular. PALAVRAS-CHAVE Educação em saúde. Diabetes Mellitus. Autocuidado. Estratégia Saúde da Família.

Background In the Amazon there are several quilombola communities, remnants of the enslaved peoples of African descendant. In Pará/Brazil (Eastern Amazonia) there are over 300 quilombola communities established in rural areas. The aim of this study is to investigate the living conditions and morbidity of individuals aged 18+ years who live in a quilombola community in the city of Ananindeua/Pará. Methods A cross-sectional study was done with 132 individuals (71.3% of the population). A household survey and a questionnaire evaluating socioeconomic, life habits and self-reported morbidity were conducted. Results Among the participants 90.2% belonged to the D/E economic class, 60.6% were women, the median age was 39.5 years (p = 0.343) and the per capita income was U$41.50/month with no difference between sexes (p = 0.266). 97.0% of the participants self-declared black or brown. Women had more education than men (7x5 years, p = 0.019). Most worked with agriculture and fishing (55.5%). 53.8% of men rated their health status as good while 41.0% of women rated their health as good (p = 0.002). 55.3% had never smoked cigarettes, 25.8% were ex-smokers, and 25.8% were smokers. More men (78.8%) used alcohol regularly than women (43.8%) (p = 0.000), among the users 32.5% reported weekly or daily use. The frequency of self-reported morbidity was as follows: Asthma 21.7%, Hypertension 10.6%, Diabetes 6.8%, Chronic infectious diseases 5.6%, Kidney disease 3.9%, Stroke 3.3%, Angina 3.1%, Liver disease 2.3%, Chronic heart failure 1.5%, with no difference between the sexes. Only 4.0% used medication for diabetes, and 7.6% for hypertension. Conclusions The study shows the social vulnerability of this quilombola community, which is similar to others in the region. The rural afro-derived Amazonian populations need to be empowered to help inform policy makers about their main health issues and healthcare needs. Key messages There are few studies about health of quilombola communities. This research shows the need for further investigations to produce sensible information and promote the empowerment of these populations. This study shows a high level of vulnerability of this community, similar to others in rural Amazon. Information about their health needs is fundamental to promotion of public policies in the region.