Prevalence of parasites with zoonotic potential in soil from the main public parks and squares in Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil

Soil contamination in parks and public squares caused by animal feces has been one of the main forms of parasitic contamination, becoming therefore a public health problem. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of parasites in the soil in major parks and public squares in Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil. Two samplings were performed at each location, the first in summer (February) and the second in winter (July) in 2015. Soil samples were collected in five spots in ten parks/public squares, per season and examined using the Hoffman, Pons & Janer (HPJ), Faust and Rugai, Mattos and Brisola methods. Among the 100 samples analyzed by HPJ and Rugai, Mattos and Brisola, 64% and 58% respectively, proved positive in summer and 28% and 60% in winter. The Faust method showed the same number of positive samples in both seasons (12% each). The following parasites were found: Cystosospora sp oocysts (4%), Entamoeba coli cysts (1%), Strongyloides stercoralis suggestive larvae (0.3%), Endolimax nana cysts (1%) and Ancylostoma sp suggestive larvae (33.3%) with the highest prevalence. Both parks and squares presented parasites with zoonotic potential. Thus, it is necessary to highlight the importance of educational measures regarding the use of these locations as well as the cleaning of public areas with the removal of animal excrements.

¿EL PRINCIPIO DE PRECAUCIÓN HACE PARTE DEL PLAN DECENAL DE SALUD PÚBLICA DE COLOMBIA 2012-2021? / IS THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE PART OF THE DECENAL PUBLIC HEALTH PLAN OF COLOMBIA 2012-2021?

El presente artículo está basado en el informe final del proyecto de investigación titulado El Principio de Precaución en el Plan Decenal de Salud Pública de Colombia. Aportes conceptuales para su implementación en Manizales y Caldas. A partir de la metodología cualitativa y mediante la técnica de análisis documental, se hizo rastreo de la inclusión del Principio de Precaución (PP) en la agenda mundial y la legislación nacional, analizando su incorporación en los diferentes lineamientos del actual Plan Decenal de Salud Pública (PDSP) para Colombia, relacionando estos aspectos con el derecho a la salud, la vida y a un ambiente sano. A través de los resultados se comprobó que no hay inclusión de manera explícita del PP en el actual PDSP, caracterizándose más bien por un enfoque preventivo. En algunos de sus lineamientos exhorta a la realización de acciones anticipatorias que prevengan el daño y el manejo de la incertidumbre en la evaluación del riesgo y el desarrollo de estrategias para identificarlo, manejarlo y mitigarlo, lo cual se considera un avance en relación con el anterior Plan Nacional de Salud Pública, pero los hallazgos de la investigación mostraron que las acciones se centran principalmente en el bienestar humano (principalmente en lo relacionado con la prevención de riesgos) y no se incluyen de manera directa las demás especies que hacen parte del entorno (en las dimensiones del Plan no se inserta la perspectiva compleja de la interacción entre el medio natural y el humano), lo cual demuestra una visión antropocentrista fuerte y poco ecológica en la formulación del Plan. Los hallazgos del estudio permitieron brindar aportes conceptuales para que entidades como la Dirección Territorial de Salud de Caldas y la Secretaría de Salud Pública de Manizales incorporen el PP en los planes, programas y proyectos derivados del PDSP.

This article is based on the final report of the research project El Principio de Precaución en el Plan Decenal de Salud Pública de Colombia. Aportes conceptuales para su implementación en Manizales y Caldas (The Precautionary Principle in the Ten-year Plan of Public Health in Colombia. Conceptual contributions for its implementation in Manizales and Caldas). From the qualitative methodology and through the documentary analysis technique, the inclusion of the Principio de Precaución -Precautionary Principle- (PP) was tracked on the global agenda and in the national legislation, analyzing its incorporation on the different points of the current Plan Decenal de Salud Pública (PDSP), -Ten-year Colombia Public Health Plan by linking these aspects with the right to health, to life and to a healthy environment. Through the results, it was found that there is not an explicit inclusion of the PP in the current PDSP, characterized rather by a preventive approach. In some of its guidelines the PDSP encourages the implementation of anticipatory actions that prevent damage and the management of uncertainty in risk assessment and in the development of strategies to identify it, manage it and mitigate it, which is considered an advance in relation to the previous Plan Nacional de Salud Pública -National Public Health Plan. However, the findings of the research showed that actions mainly focus on human welfare (mainly, related to risk prevention), and the other species that make part of the environment are not included directly (the complex perspective of the interaction between the natural environment and the human being are not inserted in the dimensions of the Plan), which demonstrates a strong anthropocentric and not very ecological vision in the formulation of the Plan. The findings of the study allowed to provide conceptual contributions for entities such as the Dirección Territorial de Salud de Caldas (Territorial Health Department of Caldas) and the Secretaría de Salud Pública de Manizales (Public Health Secretary of Manizales) to incorporate the PP plans, programs and projects derived from the PDSP.

Ecosalud: Una mirada género sensitiva / Ecohealth: A gender sensitive outlook

To recognize the interdependence between human health and the environment from the perspective of ecohealth, involves a look from the complexity which incorporate the gender category, has represented an epistemological rupture with the universalizing essentialism. The article is divided into three major sections. A first development, which attempts to make visible as it has been the construction of the feminine as an expression of social and sexual division of work impacting relations of knowledge- power -submission and thus, differential forms of living, sick, dying women and their relationships with the ecosystem. The World Health Organization, points out that women are which support larger the impact of climate change and its effects on health, representing almost all of the global deaths from preventable diseases. A second aspect that has to do with the challenges of the approach of eco health, in relation to the construction of knowledge, involving a look ecosystem, transdisciplinary social, gender equity and the community actively participating. Finally, some key moments which allow to specify how have been the advances that have been achieved thanks to the feminist movement, who have been insisting on the need to empower women in such a way that the State and the health sector, to become aware of their right to participate in public affairs.

Reconocer la interdependencia entre la salud humana y el ambiente desde el enfoque de ecosalud, implica una mirada desde la complejidad donde incorporar la categoría de género ha representado una ruptura epistemológica con el esencialismo universalizante. El artículo se estructura en tres grandes apartes. Un primer desarrollo, que intenta visibilizar como ha sido la construcción de lo femenino como expresión de la división social y sexual del trabajo impactando unas relaciones de saber-poder- sumisión y de esta manera, formas diferenciadas de vivir, enfermar, morir de las mujeres y sus relaciones con el ecosistema. La Organización Mundial de la Salud, precisa que las mujeres son las que soportan en mayor magnitud el impacto del cambio climático y sus efectos en la salud, representando casi la totalidad de las muertes mundiales a consecuencia de enfermedades prevenibles. Un segundo aspecto que tiene que ver con los desafíos del enfoque de ecosalud, en lo referente a la construcción del conocimiento, implicando una mirada ecosistémica, transdisciplinaria con equidad social, de género y con la comunidad participando activamente. Finalmente, se hilvanan algunos momentos claves los cuales permiten precisar cómo han sido los avances que se han logrado gracias a los movimientos feministas, quienes han venido insistiendo en la necesidad de empoderar a las mujeres de forma que ellas, el estado y el sector salud, tomen conciencia de su derecho a participar en los asuntos públicos.

Saúde urbana, ambiente e desigualdades / Urban health, environment, and inequalities / Salud urbana, ambiente y desigualdades

Os ambientes psicossocial, econômico e físico, nos quais se nasce, cresce, vive e trabalha, afetam a saúde e a longevidade, tanto quanto o fumo, o exercício e a dieta. A atenção individual à saúde não é suficiente para prevenir ou controlar os efeitos das más condições ambientais. Evidências históricas e atuais apontam para o agravamento das condições de saúde das populações mais pobres, acompanhando processos de urbanização rápida. Esperadamente, o envelhecimento populacional num ambiente urbano de desigualdade social deverá agravar a situação de saúde da população mais pobre, resultando em mais sofrimento e em perdas econômicas para o país. Com base nestas justificativas, um grupo de professores da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul se organizou, via extensão universitária, para contribuir com a discussão e as iniciativas nacionais de intervenção sobre a saúde urbana. Os projetos do grupo abarcam: o debate sobre o impacto potencial de iniciativas privadas e políticas públicas setoriais (de habitação, saneamento, transporte, educação, inovação tecnológica, sustentabilidade ambiental etc.) na saúde urbana; a produção e divulgação de conteúdos sobre determinantes sociais e ambientais da saúde; a produção e disseminação dos indicadores de desigualdade social dos determinantes da saúde; a formação de recursos humanos; e a participação em redes sociais. A apresentação pública deste projeto cumpre o objetivo de contribuir desde já com essa discussão.

The psychosocial, economic, and physical environment where we were born, and now are growing, living, working, and reproducing affect health and longevity as much as do smoking, exercise, and diet. Individual attention to health is not enough to prevent or control the effects of bad environmental conditions. Historical and current evidence show that a decline in the health condition of the poorest is associated with rapid urbanization. Population aging in an urban environment of social inequalities is expected to make the health situation of the poorest even worse, resulting in more human suffering and economic losses for the country. Based on these observations, a group of professors from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) organized themselves, through an extension program, to contribute on the discussion and national initiatives of intervention in urban health. The group's projects are comprised of: discussions about the potential impact of private initiatives and sector public policies (housing, sanitation, transportation, education, technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and so on) on urban health; the production and dissemination of information about social and environmental determinants of health; the production and dissemination of new indicators of inequality as determinants of health; human resources development; and the participation in social networks. The public presentation of this project satisfies the objective of initiating the group's contribution to this discussion.

Los ambientes psicosocial, económico y físico en los cuales nacemos, crecemos, vivimos, trabajamos y nos reproducimos afectan la salud y la longevidad, tanto como el tabaco, el ejercicio y la dieta. La atención individual a la salud no es suficiente para prevenir o controlar los efectos de malas condiciones ambientales. Evidencias históricas y actuales muestran el agravamiento de las condiciones de salud de las poblaciones más pobres acompañando procesos de urbanización rápida. Previsiblemente, el envejecimiento de la población en un ambiente urbano de desigualdad social deberá agravar la situación de la salud de la población más pobre, resultando en más sufrimiento y en pérdidas económicas para el país. Con base en estas justificativas, un grupo de profesores de la Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) se organizó, a través de la extensión universitaria, para contribuir con la discusión y las iniciativas nacionales de intervención sobre la Salud Urbana. Los proyectos del grupo abarcan: el debate sobre el impacto potencial de iniciativas privadas y políticas públicas sectoriales (de habitación, saneamiento, transporte, educación, innovación tecnológica, sustentabilidad ambiental, etc.) en la Salud Urbana; la producción y divulgación de contenidos sobre determinantes sociales y ambientales de la salud; la producción y diseminación de indicadores de desigualdad social como determinantes de la salud; la formación de recursos humanos; y la participación en redes sociales. La presentación pública de este proyecto cumple con el objetivo de contribuir desde ya con esta discusión.

Housing and Health / 环境与健康杂志

Nowadays more and more attention has been paid to the problems about housing and health in China. Some investigations showed that people spent almost fourteen hours in their homes every day so the houses become the major places of daily activities. It is very important to solve the problems of what is the relation between the housing and health and how the housing influences the health of the people living in it. In the present paper the author summarized the overseas and domestic researches on the housing and health and pointed out that the research on housing and health in China is just in the preliminary phase.