Daily data from the Ministry of Health reveal that, until this Monday (27), Brazil registered a growth of 38% in cases of dengue, 73% in occurrences of chikungunya and 124% in the rate of people with zika compared to the same period 2022, when records were already high.
In recent years, access to data has been limited by changes in the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), which may suggest a delay in information about the period.
“We never stopped having arboviruses (among us)”, explains biologist Denise Valle, who works at the Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Health at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute. “What happened was we turned on the light. In a sense, it’s very good that we can now look and know how big the problem is. It is very important that we pay attention not only to cases, but to deaths as well. You can often increase cases and not increase deaths in the same proportion. This means we are being able to notice and take care of them earlier, before they get worse.”
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Until March 27, Brazil had registered 121 fatal cases of dengue and 7 deaths from chikungunya. Also according to the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the year, the cases of these two diseases exceed the maximum expected limit. The trend is for an increase in the coming weeks and sustained transmission, when the virus circulates freely. Zika has not yet caused any deaths, although it also represents a concern.
Control of this scenario depends not only on the actions of the population with measures to monitor and eliminate standing water, which serves as a breeding ground for the mosquito. Temples of the Egyptians. Arboviruses are a significant public health problem, which affects more the population in areas with few resources and precarious sanitary conditions.
“We need to look at this with a broader view. Of course, the participation of the population is fundamental, but we cannot forget that health is a shared responsibility between government and society. The government has an important role in guaranteeing adequate basic sanitation, in cleaning the streets, in promoting public policies that guarantee a healthy environment for the population. And this involves a series of actions, from the construction of sewage treatment systems to the proper disposal of garbage”, points out Denise Valle.
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Data by region, compiled up to March 24, show that the Midwest recorded the highest number of dengue cases, with more than 316 occurrences per 100,000 inhabitants. Following is the Southeast, with more than 290 cases per 100,000 people, and the South, with 145 records. Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais are the states with the highest incidence of the disease.
As for chikungunya, the region that recorded the most probable cases was the Southeast, with 42.6 records per 100,000 inhabitants. Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo had the highest increases in the country. Zika reached the population of the North of Brazil more. In Tocantins, the state with the greatest variation, the number of probable cases jumped from 18 in 2022 to 650 this year.
To contain the spread, Denise Valle says that it is necessary to seek integrated solutions with policies in public health, the environment and urban planning, for example. The researcher also highlights the importance of information in this process. “The population needs to have access to accurate and up-to-date information about these diseases, so that they can prevent and act appropriately”, she concludes.
Editing: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
