Acesso à água e esgotos em ocupação urbana na Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte: efeitos na saúde, qualidade de vida e relações de gênero / Access to water and sanitation in urban occupation in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte: effects on health, quality of life and gender relations

Resumo O artigo visa compreender como ocorre o acesso à água e ao esgotamento sanitário na Ocupação Vitória e a percepção dos moradores acerca da associação entre esse acesso e as condições de saúde: aparecimento de doenças, qualidade de vida e as relações de gênero na comunidade. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, fundamentado na imersão no trabalho de campo, empregando observação participante na Ocupação e em entrevistas com seus moradores. Observou-se a precariedade do acesso à água pela população, que ocorre por meio de ligações irregulares às redes formais, e a predominância de fossas rudimentares. A população relaciona a falta de saneamento com o surgimento de doenças infecciosas e parasitárias e impactos sobre a desigualdade de gênero. O acesso inadequado à água e esgoto impacta a qualidade de vida da comunidade ao comprometer a produção de alimentos agroecológicos e as práticas culturais e identitárias. A informalidade do assentamento se traduz em maior vulnerabilidade social e maior exposição da população a efeitos sobre sua saúde, principalmente de mulheres e crianças.

Abstract The article aims to understand how access to water and sanitation occurs in the Vitória Occupation and the residents' perception of the association between this access and health conditions: the emergence of diseases, quality of life and gender relations in the community. This is a qualitative study, based on immersion in fieldwork, employing participant observation in the Occupation and in interviews with residents of the Occupation. It was observed the precariousness of access to water by the population, which occurs through irregular connections to formal networks, and the predominance of rudimentary septic tanks. The population relates the lack of sanitation with the emergence of infectious and parasitic diseases and impacts on gender inequality. Inadequate access to water and sewage impacts the community's quality of life by compromising the production of agroecological food and cultural and identity practices. The informality of the settlement translates into greater social vulnerability and greater exposure of the population to effects on their health, especially on women and children.

Study on oral smokeless tobacco use among migrant labourers and their attitude towards tobacco cessation in an urban settlement in Ernakulam district of Kerala

Background: Interstate migrant workers in the state of Kerala are increasing day by day. Tobacco usage is quite common among them; however, there are only few studies about oral smokeless tobacco consumption among them. The objectives of the study were to study the prevalence of oral smokeless tobacco use among migrant labourers in an urban settlement in Ernakulam district of Kerala and to assess the knowledge and attitude of users towards cessation. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 140 migrant workers residing in an urban settlement in Kochi. Data regarding their socio demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practices of smokeless tobacco consumption was collected using a questionnaire adapted from the global adult tobacco survey questionnaire (GATS). Data was entered into excel sheet and was analyzed using Epi Info. Results: The prevalence of oral smokeless tobacco was found to be 32.85%. Of which, majority of them used a tobacco-lime mixture called Khani (50%) and used tobacco on a daily basis (65.2%). It was observed that 71.74% of the users were unaware of the ill effects of the use of smokeless tobacco and 69.57% of them were not interested in quitting this habit. Among those who had quit, majority of them had done it on their will power alone. Conclusions: The use of smokeless tobacco is quite prevalent among the migrant population. Effective behavioural change communication activities need to be directed towards them.

Variáveis climáticas, condições de vida e saúde da população: a leptospirose no município do Rio de Janeiro de 1996 a 2009 / Climate variables, living conditions and the health of the population: leptospirosis in the city of Rio de Janeiro from 1996 to 2009

Os eventos climáticos extremos têm fortes repercussões na saúde das pessoas, especialmente quando produz doenças ou mesmo quando provoca vítimas por acidentes. A população do Rio de Janeiro é vulnerável diante das variabilidades climáticas, principalmente pelo seu aspecto socioeconômico, pois o município tem topografia e clima que favorecem esta vulnerabilidade. Este artigo discute a evolução da leptospirose no Município do Rio de Janeiro, pelas trinta e duas Regiões administrativas, no período de 1996 a 2009, testando a hipótese de que as variações climáticas acarretam um aumento no número de casos da doença.Os dados meteorológicos utilizados foram fornecidos pelo Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia e pela Empresa Brasileira de Infra-Estrutura Aero-Portuária Os dados referentes à morbimortalidade da leptospirose foram coletados da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde e Defesa Civil/RJ. Neste trabalho, concluiu-se que há correlação entre a incidência da leptospirose e a pluviometria. No entanto, ao final, é enfatizado que a oscilação do número de casos não é determinada apenas pelo índice pluviométrico, outros fatores influenciam nessa dinâmica, tais como: saneamento, assim como fatores ambientais e sociais.

Extreme climate events have major repercussions on the health of the population, especially when they cause disease or even result in victims due to accidents. The population of Rio de Janeiro is vulnerable to climate variations, mainly due to the socio-economic factors, as the city has a topography and climate that enhance this vulnerability. This article discusses the evolution of leptospirosis in the thirty-two administrative regions of the city of Rio de Janeiro from 1996 through 2009, testing the hypothesis that climate variations lead to an increase in the number of cases of the disease. The meteorological data examined were provided by the National Meteorology Institute and the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company. Data on the morbidity and mortality of leptospirosis was collected from Rio de Janeiro's Municipal Health and Civil Defense Department. In this work, it was concluded that there is a direct correlation between the incidence of leptospirosis and rainfall. However, in the final analysis, it must be emphasized that the oscillation of the number of cases is not only determined by rainfall, since other factors influence this dynamic, such as sanitation, in addition to environmental and social factors.