RESUMO
Background: Japan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes. In addition, as the climate is changing due to global warming, heavy rains have caused frequent floods recently. Following the occurrence of disasters, citizens often experience confusion regarding access to healthcare services. Moreover, health professionals often face uncertainty regarding the availability of medical services in their local area. The Tokyo Kita city Pharmacist Association (KPA) independently developed the pharmacist safety confirmation (PSC) and pharmacy status confirmation (PSTC) systems to provide information regarding pharmaceutical resources during a disaster. These systems are very useful; however, they only provide information about pharmacies. Using this system as a base, a regional medical resource (RMR) map was created in cooperation with the Medical Association and Dental Association to provide useful medical resource information for clinicians and citizens during a disaster. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the effectiveness and reliability of the RMR map. Methods: The PSC and PSTC systems were originally invented by the KPA. The systems were employed in the event of actual earthquakes and flood damages and have produced positive results. An RMR map was created as a new resource map system by updating the software and platform of PSC and PSTC, and its reliability and efficacy were verified using drills. Drills were conducted seven times from 2018 to 2021. Results: Out of the 527 member facilities, 450 were registered. The response rate ranged from 49.4% to 73.8% and the system successfully created useful maps. Conclusion: This is the first report on the creation of an effective RMR map that can be used for helping people during disasters in Japan.
RESUMO
Snakebite envenomings (SBEs) and other envenomings triggered by venomous animals (VAEs) represent a significant disease burden in Brazil, with 29,152 SBEs reported in 2021 alone with nearly half of those occurring in the remote Brazilian Amazon. In 2021, Brazil recorded 240,294 envenomings from snakes, scorpions, spiders, and caterpillars. Therefore, there is an unequal distribution of SBEs with high morbidity and mortality in the Brazilian Amazon. The severity of SBEs increases when patients require more than 6 h to access antivenom treatment, a common issue for the rural and indigenous populations. Understanding currently available resources and practices in Amazon remote areas of Brazil can serve to inform future interventions and guide health care policies. This study aims to develop a resource map of existing healthcare resources for the Brazilian Amazon's clinical management of VAEs with emphasis in SBEs, which will aid future strategic interventions. Data collection included a literature review, secondary data collected by government departments and organizational records, GIS mapping activities, and expert input. Our framework was guided by the three levels of healthcare service ecosystem analysis (macro, meso, and micro). Our resource map lays out a comprehensive overview of antivenom access, the distribution landscape, differences in patient transportation, and barriers to access healthcare that face populations in the Brazilian Amazon.
RESUMO
Snakebite envenomings (SBEs) and other envenomings triggered by venomous animals (VAEs) represent a significant disease burden in Brazil, with 29,152 SBEs reported in 2021 alone with nearly half of those occurring in the remote Brazilian Amazon. In 2021, Brazil recorded 240,294 envenomings from snakes, scorpions, spiders, and caterpillars. Therefore, there is an unequal distribution of SBEs with high morbidity and mortality in the Brazilian Amazon. The severity of SBEs increases when patients require more than 6 h to access antivenom treatment, a common issue for the rural and indigenous populations. Understanding currently available resources and practices in Amazon remote areas of Brazil can serve to inform future interventions and guide health care policies. This study aims to develop a resource map of existing healthcare resources for the Brazilian Amazon's clinical management of VAEs with emphasis in SBEs, which will aid future strategic interventions. Data collection included a literature review, secondary data collected by government departments and organizational records, GIS mapping activities, and expert input. Our framework was guided by the three levels of healthcare service ecosystem analysis (macro, meso, and micro). Our resource map lays out a comprehensive overview of antivenom access, the distribution landscape, differences in patient transportation, and barriers to access healthcare that face populations in the Brazilian Amazon.
