Doença de Chagas e a seguridade social: caracterização da doença no sistema previdenciário e assistencial brasileiro, 2004-2016 / Enfermedad de Chagas y la seguridad social: caracterización de la enfermedad en el sistema de seguridad y asistencia social brasileño, 2004-2016 / Chagas disease and social welfare: characterization of the disease in the Brazilian social security and social assistance, 2004-2016

Objetivo: Caracterizar o perfil sociodemográfico de beneficiários da seguridade social brasileira com doença de Chagas e identificar fatores associados à concessão de benefícios assistenciais, 2004-2016. Métodos: Estudo transversal, com dados secundários do Ministério do Trabalho e Previdência Social. Empregou-se regressão logística para estimar as razões de chances (OR: odds ratios), brutas e ajustadas, e intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Foram concedidos 36.023 benefícios: 62,5% a pessoas do sexo masculino; 67,0% para residentes de áreas urbanas; 46,7% para moradores da macrorregião Sudeste; 56,7% para pessoas com forma cardíaca crônica; e 42,7% para a faixa etária de 50-59 anos. Residir em áreas urbanas (OR = 134,9; IC95% 78,0;233,2), residir no Nordeste (OR = 2,9; IC95% 2,5;3,1), ser do sexo feminino (OR = 2,0; IC95% 1,8;2,1) e ter idade de 60 anos ou mais (OR = 1,6; IC95% 1,3;1,7) estiveram associados aos benefícios assistenciais. Conclusão: Fatores relacionados a zona de residência, macrorregião, sexo e faixa etária aumentaram a chance de concessão de benefícios assistenciais.

Objetivo: Caracterizar el perfil sociodemográfico de los beneficiarios de la seguridad social brasileña con enfermedad de Chagas e identificar los factores asociados a la concesión de beneficios asistenciales, de 2004 a 2016. Métodos: Estudio transversal con datos del Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social. Se utilizó la regresión logística para estimar las razones de probabilidad (OR) brutas y ajustadas. Resultados: Se otorgaron 36.023 beneficios; 62,5% para el sexo masculino; 67,0% para residentes en áreas urbanas; 46,7% residentes del Sudeste; 56,7% para personas con insuficiencia cardiaca crónica; y 42,7% para personas de 50-59 años. Residir en áreas urbanas (OR = 134,9; IC95% 78,0;233,2), en el Nordeste (OR = 2,9; IC95% 2,5;3,1), ser de sexo femenino (OR = 2,0; IC95% 1,8;2,1) y tener de 60 años o más (OR = 1,6; IC95% 1,3;1,7) fueron factores asociados a las prestaciones asistenciales. Conclusión: Los factores relacionados con el local de residencia, sexo y grupo de edad aumentaron la posibilidad de otorgar beneficios asistenciales.

Objective: To characterize the sociodemographic profile of beneficiaries of Brazilian social welfare affected by Chagas disease and identify factors associated with the granting of assistance benefits, 2004 to 2016. Methods: Cross-sectional study based on secondary data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Logistical regression was performed to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: 36,023 benefits were granted; 62.5% were to male; 67.0% to residents of urban areas; 46.7% to residents of Southeast region; 56.7% to people with chronic cardiac form; and 42.7% to the 50-59 age group. Residents of urban areas (OR = 134.9; 95%CI 78.0;233.2), Northeast macro-region (OR = 2.9; 95%CI 2.5;3.1), female (OR = 2.0; 95%CI 1.8;2.1) and age group 60 years or older (OR = 1.6; 95%CI 1,3;1,7) were factors associated with assistance benefits. Conclusion: Factors related to the area of residence, macro-region, sex and age group increased the chance of granting assistance benefits.

Chagas disease: review of needs, neglect, and obstacles to treatment access in Latin America

Abstract After more than one century since its discovery, Chagas disease is still extremely prevalent in 21 Latin American countries. Chagas disease is one of the most concerning public health problems in Latin America; the overall cost of CD treatment is approximately 7 billion United States dollars per year and it has a strong social impact on populations. Little progress has been made regarding the access to diagnosis and treatment at the primary health care level, calling into question the current policies to ensure the right to health and access to essential medications. In this article, diverse dimensions of access to treatment for Chagas disease are reviewed, illustrating the present state of benznidazole medication in relation to global production capacity, costs, and needs. The findings are based on an investigation requested by Médecins Sans Frontières Brazil through a consultancy in 2015, aiming to estimate the current costs of benznidazole production.

Certifying achievement in the control of Chagas disease native vectors: what is a viable scenario?

As an evaluation scheme, we propose certifying for “control”, as alternative to “interruption”, of Chagas disease transmission by native vectors, to project a more achievable and measurable goal and sharing good practices through an “open online platform” rather than “formal certification” to make the key knowledge more accumulable and accessible.