Proposal for integrated analysis of public health emergencies involving arboviruses: the case of the Zika virus in Brazil

Pepe, Vera Lucia Edais; Albuquerque, Mariana Vercesi de; Osorio-de-Castro, Claudia Garcia Serpa; Pereira, Claudia Cristina de Aguiar; Oliveira, Catia Verônica dos Santos; Reis, Lenice Gnocchi da Costa; Reis, Carla de Barros; Dias, Henrique Sant’Anna; Miranda, Elaine Silva

doi:10.1590/0103-11042020E205I

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

ESSAY • Saúde debate 44 (spe2) • July 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-11042020E205I copy

Proposal for integrated analysis of public health emergencies involving arboviruses: the case of the Zika virus in Brazil

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

The change in the pattern of occurrence of microcephaly associated with Zika virus infection in pregnant women in Brazil resulted in the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of National and International Concern. Coordinated and inter-sector efforts were required, but there were not always effective responses or preparation of the affected populations. The Zika epidemic impacted public policies, including health policy, both in scientific research, proposals for control measures, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. The study aimed to propose an integrated analysis for the approach to future health emergencies, with a focus on arboviral infections. Based on the Brazilian experience with the Zika epidemic and the related literature, the analysis links four dimensions: vulnerabilities and risk; the population’s socioeconomic conditions and impacts; development and use of technologies and research; and the health system’s response and reprogramming. The aim is to allow specific research focuses to measure the possible outcomes and generate new evidence on the epidemic’s effect on health systems. Scientific knowledge and its gaps are the main integrating elements in these analytic dimensions, aimed at contributing with a more timely and effective response in future emergencies. Besides the acquired knowledge, it is necessary to add capacity to confront future emergencies related to arbovirus epidemics.

KEYWORDS
Zika virus; Arbovirus infections; Disaster vulnerability; Disaster emergencies; Health systems

Centro Brasileiro de Estudos de Saúde Av. Brasil, 4036, sala 802, 21040-361 Rio de Janeiro - RJ Brasil, Tel. 55 21-3882-9140, Fax.55 21-2260-3782 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
E-mail: revista@saudeemdebate.org.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Collaborators

Pepe VLE (0000-0003-0606-1544)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). , Albuquerque MV (0000-0002-0763-6357)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). , Osorio-de-Castro CGS (0000-0003-4875-7216)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). , Pereira CCA (0000-0003-1389-9214)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). , Dias HS (0000-0003-3419-2496)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). , and Miranda ES (0000-0002-6204-5023)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). contributed to the article’s conception, drafting of the manuscript, critical revision of the content, and approval of the final version. Oliveira CVS (0000-0002-0464-1476)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). , Reis LGC (0000-0001-5020-2469)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). , and Reis CB (0000-0002-6118-2130)^* * Orcid (Open Researcher and Contributor ID). contributed to the article’s conception, drafting of the manuscript, and approval of the final version.

Risks, vulnerabilities, and socioeconomic impacts	What is the epidemiological and socioeconomic profile of the population at risk for a given health emergency?
	What are the possible repercussions and socioeconomic impacts of the epidemic for the population groups and places affected by the epidemic?
	What measures are necessary to decrease the possible impacts, especially in vulnerable populations and places at highest risk?
	How long and in what way should the vulnerable and affected groups be observed to verify the true scope of the consequences and impacts of a health emergency in the short, medium, and long term?
Technologies and research	What prior experiences, certainties, and evidences can orient the responses by the health system and services and what are the uncertainties?
	Which technologies and knowledge, including those produced by the communities, can be used, readapted, and/or disseminated, and which ones need to be produced/created?
	How to guarantee that the technologies and knowledge reach the vulnerable populations and affected places, considering scales and inequalities in access and dissemination?
	Which scientific studies are necessary to orient and evaluate the response by health systems and health services in the short, medium, and long term?
Timely response and reprogramming by health systems	Which information, actions, resources, and protocols are necessary and should be priorities for orienting the response by health systems and health services in the short, medium, and long term?
	What type of training or allocation of professionals is necessary to respond to the demands and actions during the health emergency?
	Which preventive and therapeutic measures should be prioritized and reorganized, given the demands of vulnerable populations and affected places and/or those at greatest risk and the possible harm to the right to health, access, coverage, scope, and capacity for provision?
	What are the epidemic’s possible repercussions and impacts for health systems and health services in the short, medium, and long term?
	How to guarantee rapid and reliable communication among administrators, researchers, patients and families, and the population?