Mortality and survival of tuberculosis coinfected patients living with AIDS in São Paulo, Brazil: a 12-year cohort study.

BACKGROUND: TB is still one of the leading causes of death among HIV patients. This study evaluates the effect of TB on the mortality rate, survival time, and predictors of survival in patients with AIDS living in different areas in São Paulo State (SPS). METHODS: Retrospective cohort of adolescents and adults with AIDS, diagnosed between 2003 and 2007 and followed-up until 2014. Data were obtained from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Mortality rates were estimated by person-years. Survival analysis used the date of diagnosis as the reference for the construction of Kaplan-Meier curves. The Cox model was used for the investigation of survival-associated factors. RESULTS: A total of 35,515 patients were included, of whom 63.0% were male; 64.7% at the age group of 30 to 49 years, 64.4% were white, 12.9% co-infected with TB, and 37.6% had CD4 count above 200 cells/mm3 at diagnosis of AIDS. The 12-year survival probabilities were 74.1% and 55.7% among patients without and with TB co-infection, respectively. After adjustment for sex, age and year of diagnosis, the following exposures were independently associated with lower survival: residing in municipalities of the Interior (Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.43) and Coastal Area (HR = 1.9); illiteracy (HR = 2.61); being co-infected with TB (HR = 1.70); CD4 count below 200 cells/mm3 at AIDS diagnosis (HR = 2.31); viral load above 500 copies/ml at AIDS diagnosis (HR = 1.99); HAART1 regimen (one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted old protease inhibitors) (HR = 1.94). CONCLUSION: The impact of TB on survival of AIDS was heterogeneous, and affected by age, years of formal education, early AIDS diagnosis, and proper ARV treatment. These factors may not fully explain the different survival outcomes in each of the four regions within the same state. These results may subsidize focused interventions and public health policies conveying specific needs in each of the areas.

Delayed vaccination the children up to 2 years of age.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze factors associated with vaccination delay in children up to 2 years of age. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with primary data from a probabilistic sample of 388 children born in 2015. The data were described using absolute and relative frequencies. For the analysis of factors associated with vaccination delay, Cox proportional risk regression was performed, considering the time from birth to the first vaccination delay as a dependent variable and as sociodemographic, economic, behavioral aspects related to health services as independent variables. RESULTS: The delayed vaccination rate was 88.66%. Variables associated with delayed vaccination were: mother's health problems during delivery or in the first 7 days (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.48-0.96); hospitalization of the child in the first 2 years of life (HR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.10-2.11); mother's poor bond with health professionals at the health unit (HR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.01-3.03); purposeful decision to delay or not to vaccinate the child (HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.14-2.13). CONCLUSIONS: The factors associated with health care, such as the mother's health problems, the child's hospitalization in the first 2 years of life, and the bond between the mother and the health professionals affect the timeliness of vaccine doses.

COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil: adherence to national preventive measures and impact on people's lives, an online survey.

BACKGROUND: The first case of COVID-19 infection was diagnosed in Brazil 26th February 2020. By March 16th, physical distancing and confinement measures were implemented by the Brazilian government. Little is known about how these measures were followed up by the Brazilian people and their impact on daily routine. METHODS: In early April 2020, using an online platform, we organized an online survey among adults living in Brazil about their COVID-19 preventive behavior and impact on their daily routine. RESULTS: Data from 23,896 respondents were analyzed (mean age: 47.4 years). Due to COVID-19 restrictions, half (51.1%) of the professionals reported working from home. Regular handwashing was practiced by 98.7% of participants; 92.6% reported adhering to the 1.5-2 m physical distancing rule, but only 45.5% wore a face mask when going outside. While 29.3% of respondents found it relatively easy to stay at home, indoor confinement was extremely difficult for 7.9% of participants. Moreover, 11% of participants were extremely worried about their health during the COVID-19 epidemic. Younger people, male, persons living in a rural area/village or popular neighbourhoods, students and workers reported less preventive behaviour. CONCLUSION: Restrictive measures markedly affected the daily and professional routines of Brazilians. Participants showed a satisfactory level of adherence to national COVID-19 prevention guidelines. Qualitative and follow-up studies are needed to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in the Brazilian society.

Factors Associated with the Completeness of the Vaccination Schedule of Children at 12 and 24 Months of Age in a Brazilian Medium-Size Municipality.

PURPOSE: To analyse the factors associated with the completeness of the vaccination schedule of children at 12 and 24 months of age, in a Brazilian municipality. DESIGN AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in Araraquara-São Paulo with a probabilistic sample of 388 children born in 2015. The completeness of the vaccination schedule at 12 and 24 months of age was considered a dependent variable. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, use of health services and vaccination were the independent variables. For analysis, descriptive statistics and Poisson regression with robust variance were used. RESULTS: The completeness of the vaccination schedule at 12 and 24 months of age was identified in 77.1% and 68.8% of children, respectively. Coverage at 12 months was greater among children of mothers who received guidance from health professionals on vaccination or had health problems during childbirth or in the first seven days. Those who reported a previous episode of adverse reaction to the vaccine, coverage was lower. Coverage at 24 months was greater among those who received guidance from health professionals on vaccination or had health problems during childbirth or in the first seven days. Those who reported a previous episode of adverse reaction to the vaccine, coverage was lower. CONCLUSIONS: This study points to the importance of guiding health professionals, particulary nurses, on the vaccination and vaccine safety. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: It is necessary the competent act of the health professionals in of immunization programs, as they are able to provide clear and accurate information of the vaccination.

Zoonotic Tuberculosis in Humans: Control, Surveillance, and the One Health Approach.

Zoonotic tuberculosis is a reemerging infectious disease in high-income countries and a neglected one in low- and middle-income countries. Despite major advances in its control as a result of milk pasteurization, its global burden is unknown, especially due the lack of surveillance data. Additionally, very little is known about control strategies. The purpose of this review was to contextualize the current knowledge about the epidemiology of zoonotic tuberculosis and to describe the available evidence regarding surveillance and control strategies in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. We conducted this review enriched by a One Health perspective, encompassing its inherent multifaceted characteristics. We found that the burden of zoonotic tuberculosis is likely to be underreported worldwide, with higher incidence in low-income countries, where the surveillance systems are even more fragile. Together with the lack of specific political commitment, surveillance data is affected by lack of a case definition and limitations of diagnostic methods. Control measures were dependent on risk factors and varied greatly between countries. This review supports the claim that a One Health approach is the most valuable concept to build capable surveillance systems, resulting in effective control measures. The disease characteristics and suggestions to implement surveillance and control programs are discussed.

Migration and tuberculosis transmission in a middle-income country: a cross-sectional study in a central area of São Paulo, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the impact of growing migration on the pattern of tuberculosis (TB) transmission in middle-income countries. We estimated TB recent transmission and its associated factors and investigated the presence of cross-transmission between South American migrants and Brazilians. METHODS: We studied a convenient sample of cases of people with pulmonary TB in a central area of São Paulo, Brazil, diagnosed between 2013 and 2014. Cases with similar restriction fragment length polymorphism (IS6110-RFLP) patterns of their Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates were grouped in clusters (recent transmission). Clusters with both Brazilian and South American migrants were considered mixed (cross-transmission). Risk factors for recent transmission were studied using logistic regression. RESULTS: Isolates from 347 cases were included, 76.7% from Brazilians and 23.3% from South American migrants. Fifty clusters were identified, which included 43% South American migrants and 60.2% Brazilians (odds ratio = 0.50, 95% confidence interval = 0.30-0.83). Twelve cross-transmission clusters were identified, involving 24.6% of all clustered cases and 13.8% of all genotyped cases, with migrants accounting for either an equal part or fewer cases in 11/12 mixed clusters. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that TB disease following recent transmission is more common among Brazilians, especially among those belonging to high-risk groups, such as drug users. Cross-transmission between migrants and Brazilians was present, but we found limited contributions from migrants to Brazilians in central areas of São Paulo and vice versa.

Migration to middle-income countries and tuberculosis-global policies for global economies.

BACKGROUND: International migration to middle-income countries is increasing and its health consequences, in particular increasing transmission rates of tuberculosis (TB), deserve consideration. Migration and TB are a matter of concern in high-income countries and targeted screening of migrants for active and latent TB infection is a main strategy to manage risk and minimize transmission. In this paper, we discuss some aspects of TB control and migration in the context of middle-income countries, together with the prospect of responding with equitable and comprehensive policies. MAIN BODY: TB rates in middle-income countries remain disproportionally high among the poorest and most vulnerable groups in large cities where most migrant populations are concentrated. Policies that tackle migrant TB in high-income countries may be inadequate for middle-income countries because of their different socio-economic and cultural scenarios. Strategies to control TB in these settings must take into account the characteristics of middle-income countries and the complexity of TB as a disease of poverty. Intersectoral policies of social protection such as cash-transfer programs help reducing poverty and improving health in vulnerable populations. We address the development of new approaches to improve well-established strategies including contact tracing and active and latent TB screening as an 'add on' to the existing health care guidelines of conditional cash transfer programs. In addition, we discuss how it might improve health and welfare among both poor migrants and locally-born populations. Authorities from middle-income countries should recognise that migrants are a vulnerable social group and promote cooperation efforts between sending and receiving countries for mitigation of poverty and prevention of disease in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Middle-income countries have long sent migrants overseas. However, the influx of large migrant populations into their societies is relatively new and a growing phenomenon and it is time to set comprehensive goals to improve health among these communities. Conditional cash transfer policies with TB screening and strengthening of DOTS are some strategies that deserve attention. Reduction of social and health inequality among migrants should be incorporated into concerted actions to meet TB control targets.

Survival of AIDS patients in Sao Paulo-Brazil in the pre- and post-HAART eras: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Brazil was the first middle-income country to provide free and universal access to AIDS treatment. Understanding the impact of this policy is key to promote ongoing improvement of current intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to compare mortality rates and survival in a cohort of AIDS patients before and after the introduction of antiretrovirals (ARV) and to investigate predictors of survival. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of AIDS patients aged 13 years or more living in the city of Sao Paulo was conducted. All patients were recruited from an STD/HIV outpatient clinic between 1988 and 2003 and followed up until 2005. We estimated AIDS mortality rates in person-years (py) and carried out a survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess predictors of survival in AIDS patients. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 6,594 patients. The yearly mean mortality rates were 17.6, 23.2, and 7.8 per 1,000 py for the study periods 1988-1993, 1994-1996, and 1997-2003, respectively. Median survival time was 13.4 and 22.3 months for patients entering the study in the first and second study periods and survival time was 108 months or more in 72% of those entering the study during 1997-2003. Factors independently associated with shorter survival included: AIDS diagnosis during the 1994-1996 (HR 2.0) and 1988-1993 (HR 3.2) periods; 50 years of age or more (HR 2.0); exposure category of injection drug users (IDU) (HR 1.5); 8 years of schooling or less (HR 1.4); no schooling (HR 2.1); and CD4+ counts between 350 and 500 cells/mm(3) (HR 1.2) and less than 350 cells/mm(3) at AIDS diagnosis (HR 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The study showed a strong impact following the introduction of HAART in 1996 with decreased AIDS mortality, increased survival rates, and benefits with early introduction of HAART. However, some groups of patients were less likely to benefit from the new drug regimens. Public policies promoting health equity create an enabling environment helping AIDS control programs in developing countries to achieve their goals as effectively as in developed countries.

The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on tuberculosis notifications and deaths in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The state of São Paulo reports the highest number of tuberculosis cases in Brazil. We aimed to analyze the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic's impact on tuberculosis notifications and identify factors associated with reduced notifications and tuberculosis deaths in 2020-2021. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data from 126,649 patients with tuberculosis notified in São Paulo from 2016 to 2021. Interrupted time series analysis assessed the pandemic's impact on notifications. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions identified factors associated with decreased tuberculosis notifications and deaths during the pandemic (2020-2021) compared to the pre-pandemic period (2019). Findings: Tuberculosis notifications decreased by 10% and 8% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, with declines 2-3 times higher among individuals with no education or deprived of liberty. Contrastingly, tuberculosis notifications increased 68% among corrections workers in 2021. Diagnostics and contact tracing were compromised. Individuals with HIV, drug addiction, or deprived of liberty had lower odds of notification during the pandemic. Black and Pardo individuals or those with diabetes, treatment interruption history, or treatment changes post-adverse events had higher odds of notification. However, adverse events and tuberculosis-diabetes cases have been increasing since 2016. During the pandemic, tuberculosis-related deaths rose 5.0%-12.7%. Risk factors for mortality remained similar to 2019, with Pardo ethnicity, drug addiction and re-treatment post-adverse events emerging as risk factors in 2020/2021. Interpretation: The pandemic affected tuberculosis notifications and deaths differently among populations, exacerbating inequalities. Treatment interruption, loss of follow-up, and challenges in accessing healthcare led to increased mortality. Funding: FAPESP, CNPq and CAPES, Brazil.

Antiretroviral treatment adherence in childhood and adolescence: multidisciplinary team as an associated factor in Brazil.

Our aim was to analyze factors associated with non-adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment among children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study was carried out involving non-institutionalized children and adolescents between 2 and 20 years of age, addressing non-adherence to ARV treatment, which was defined as taking ≤89% of the medications on the day of the interview and the three previous days. The investigation into the association between non-compliance and the variables of interest was performed using unconditional logistic regression. The independent factors associated with non-adherence were forgetfulness (OR = 3.22; 95%CI = 1.75-5.92), difficulties coping with treatment (OR = 2.65; 95%CI = 1.03-6.79), and living with grandparents (OR = 2.28; 95%CI = 1.08-4.83), whereas a protective effect was found with participation in multidisciplinary activities (OR = 0.49; 95%CI = 0.25-0.96), i.e., this factor indicates that the exposure to the variable is beneficial, promoting adherence. We concluded that forgetting to take the medications and reporting having difficulty coping with ARV treatment are potentially modifiable factors through educational and programmatic actions. Residing with one's grandparents may strongly impact adherence to ARV treatment, indicating the need for the systematic support of these family members. Participation in multidisciplinary activities should be stimulated at health-care services.

A study of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in risk groups in the city of Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.

Monitoring the extent of and trends in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a priority of the Brazilian National Tuberculosis Control Programme. The current study aimed to estimate the incidence of MDR-TB, describe the profile of TB drug resistance in risk groups and examine whether screening for MDR-TB adhered to the recommended guidelines. A descriptive study that examined diagnosed cases of pulmonary TB was conducted in the city of Santos, Brazil, between 2000-2004. Of the 2,176 pulmonary TB cases studied, 671 (30.8%) met the criteria for drug sensitivity testing and, of these cases, 31.7% (213/671) were tested. Among the tested cases, 9.4% were resistant to one anti-TB drug and 15% were MDR. MDR was observed in 11.6% of 86 new TB cases and 17.3% of 127 previously treated cases. The average annual incidence of MDR-TB was 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants-years. The extent of known MDR-TB in the city of Santos is high, though likely to be underestimated. Our study therefore indicates an inadequate adherence to the guidelines for MDR-TB screening and suggests the necessity of alternative strategies of MDR-TB surveillance.

One Health and surveillance of zoonotic tuberculosis in selected low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about zoonotic tuberculosis (zTB) due to Mycobacterium bovis burden across the globe. The aim of this study was to describe zTB surveillance programs in selected WHO signatory countries and to assess the relationship of the disease with the country's income level and the risk of M. bovis transmission. METHODS: We searched the main articles databases and grey literature for guide documents published between 1980 and 2019. For inclusion, the articles and guide documents had to be in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian. Only original articles and narrative and systematic reviews were accepted and the guide documents were required to be available on official websites. We excluded articles that did not focus on epidemiology, control and surveillance. We used bovine TB cases in livestock and wildlife populations as a proxy for the country's risk of zTB using data from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) published from 2015 to 2018. Countries were classified according to income level (World Bank's classification) and strength of zTB surveillance. The study was registered in PROSPERO under number CRD42018090603. FINDINGS: We included 13 articles and 208 guide documents including data from 119/194 countries (61.3%). We found a lack of surveillance data about zTB in over half (89.9%) of the 119 WHO signatory countries. Most surveillance systems perform passive surveillance and are not integrated into the One Health perspective, which was operating in 4/119 (3.4%) countries, all high-income. Many of these countries (71/119, 59.7%) have M. bovis circulating in their cattle herds, but only ~10% of them have implemented zTB surveillance activities. INTERPRETATION: Our findings highlight weaknesses in zTB surveillance worldwide, with a consequent lack of information that could support an adequate understanding of disease burden, especially in countries at major risk for M. bovis transmission. To meet this challenge, efforts will be needed to promote intersectoral policies, implementing the One Health strategy.

Effect of a conditional cash transfer programme on infant up-to-date and timely vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes are one of the strategies to increase vaccination coverage among underprivileged families by conditioning cash transfer to the up-to-date immunisation of children. However, there are gaps in knowledge of its impact on vaccination at the recommended age (timely). METHODS: We performed two cross-sectional analyses of secondary data from a retrospective cohort, at the landmark ages of 12 and 24 months, to assess the effect of the Brazilian CCT on the up-to-date and timely vaccination in children born between 2014 and 2016 and resident in the city of Araraquara, São Paulo (Southeast Brazil). The Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was used to balance two pre-defined groups (beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries) according to the profile of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: From a total of 7386 children within the cohort, 22.2% (1636) were from beneficiary families of the CCT. After the pairing by PSM, the final sample size included in the analyses was 1440 for each group. We found higher up-to-date vaccination coverage, at 12 (92.1%, 95% CI=90.6% to 93.5%) and 24 months (83.8%, 95% CI=81.8% to 85.7%), among the CCT beneficiaries compared with the non-beneficiaries (85.1%, 95% CI=83.2% to 86.9% at 12 months and 73.6%, 95% CI=71.2% to 75.8% at 24 months). The coverage of timely vaccination did not statistically differ between beneficiaries (41.5%, 95% CI=38.9% to 44.1% and 17.4%, 95% CI=15.4% to 19.4%) and non-beneficiaries (40.7%, 95% CI=38.1% to 43.3% and 17.1%, 95% CI=15.2% to 19.1%) at 12 and 24 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study highlights a positive effect of the CCT on vaccination coverage of the up-to-date infant vaccination schedule. However, there was no difference in timely vaccination.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of syphilis in pregnant women and congenital syphilis in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

We aimed to estimate the occurrence of syphilis in pregnant women (SPW) and congenital syphilis (CS) in the municipalities of the state of São Paulo (SP) and evaluate their relationship with socioeconomic, demographic, and health care variables. We developed an ecological study based on secondary data of SPW and CS with spatiotemporal components from 645 municipalities in SP including data from 2007 to 2018. We modeled the data in a Bayesian context, considered spatial and temporal random effects, and used binomial negative probability distributions. We found a continuous increase in the relative temporal risk of SPW, from 2007 to 2018, and CS, from 2007 to 2017, when their incidences increased by 8.6 and 6.6 times, respectively. This increase occurred en bloc in practically all municipalities of SP. The increase in SPW was associated with teenage pregnancy, municipalities with a large number of inhabitants, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) incidence. The increase in CS was associated with municipalities with a large number of inhabitants, incomplete antenatal care, and AIDS incidence. Although actions to control these diseases are required in all municipalities of SP, the identification of high-risk areas points to priority regions for development.

Secular Trends of Suicide in the City of São Paulo, 1904-2017.

Background: Few reports from developing countries have described long-term trends in suicide. Aims: To investigate the age-, sex-, and method-specific trends in suicide over the period 1904-2017 in São Paulo. Method: Mortality data were obtained from SEADE, DATASUS, and PRO-AIM. Results: Suicide peaked in the mid-1910s and mid-1950s, being higher among men. There was an upward trend from the 1920s for men and from the 1930s for women. Suicide rates have declined since the mid-1950s, reaching lower rates in the past 40 years. Men aged 60+ had higher rates at the beginning and a decreasing trend. Suicide rates among men aged 20-39 and 40-59 peaked in the mid-1950s and declined until the late 1970s, thereafter remaining stable. Women aged 20-39 years had the highest rates with decreasing trends from the mid-1950s. No trends were detected for the age group 40-59, and women aged 60+ presented a decreasing trend. Rates among women aged 0-19 declined after the late 1970s. Suicide by poisoning peaked in the 1950s, and there was a downward trend for firearms and an upward trend for hanging. Conclusion: Suicide trends vary by sex, age group, and method. Accurate monitoring of these trends is an important task for suicide prevention and public health agencies and personnel.

Analyses of cataract surgery performed by the Unified Health System in Brazil, 2006-2007.

OBJECTIVE: Estimate cataract surgical rates (CSR) for Brazil and each federal unit in 2006 and 2007 based on the number of surgeries performed by the Unified Health System to help plan a comprehensive ophthalmology network in order to eliminate cataract blindness in compliance with the target set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 3,000 cataract surgeries per million inhabitants per year. METHODS: This descriptive study calculates CSR by using the number of cataract surgeries carried out by the Brazilian Unified Health System for each federal unit and estimates the need for cataract surgery in Brazil for 2006-2007, with official population data provided by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The number of cataract surgeries was compared with the WHO target. RESULTS: To reach the WHO goal for eliminating age-related cataract blindness in Brazil, 560,312 cataract surgeries in 2006 and 568,006 surgeries in 2007 needed to be done. In 2006, 179,121 cataract surgeries were done by the Unified Health System, corresponding to a CSR of 959 per million population; in 2007, 223,317 were performed, with a CSR of 1,179. With the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology estimation of 165,000 surgeries each year by the non-public services, the CSR for Brazil would be 1,842 for 2006 and 2,051 for 2007. The proportions needed to achieve the proposed target were 38.6% in 2006 and 31.6% in 2007. CONCLUSIONS: Human resources, technical expertise, and equipment are crucial to reach the WHO goal. Brazil has enough ophthalmologists but needs improved planning and infrastructure in order to eliminate the problem, aspects that require greater financial investment and stronger political commitment.

Computerized immunization record agreement in Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil, 2018. / Concordância do registro informatizado de imunização de Araraquara, São Paulo, 2018.

OBJECTIVE: To describe agreement between the Juarez System immunization data and information in vaccination record booklets and vaccination coverage in children aged 12 to 24 months. METHODS: This was a descriptive study to assess the vaccination status at 12 and 24 months of age of children born in 2015 and recorded on the Juarez System. The levels of agreement between the Juarez System data and the information in vaccination record booklets were verified. RESULTS: 429 children were included. It was found that agreement ranged between 84.1% and 99.1%. The vaccine survey found that coverage for each vaccine ranged from 86.01% to 100% and for the full schedule, from 77.1% (12 months) to 68.8% (24 months). The spatial distributions of vaccine coverage ranged from 28% to 100%. CONCLUSION: There was excellent agreement between the data, with high vaccination coverage, but heterogeneity in their spatial distributions.

Global Health and Planetary Health: perspectives for a transition to a more sustainable world post COVID-19.

The manuscript discusses interfaces between academic and practical fields of Global Health and Planetary Health, shedding light on some critical perspectives of cumulative and synergistic causes of global crises, and effects on health and food security, on human rights, on migration, and on environment. Concepts of Global Health and Planetary Health and the path for the Sustainable Development Goals -SDG in the context of the Syndemy of Global Crisis, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, are presented. COVID-19 lessons highlight challenges of infectious diseases and pandemics of the crisis of food insecurity, and of climate emergency. The manuscript advocates for an innovative approach that simultaneously broader awareness of the interconnected problems and of their complex causes and calls for emancipatory knowledge to face urgent challenges for a transdisciplinary research agenda aiming to tackle enormous planetary problems brought by the Anthropocene. It calls for practical solutions, with examples of some nature-based. It highlights the need of a collective reflection on a viable path to promote changes for a more sustainable, equitable, and adaptive future, bridging gaps from Global and Planetary Health.

Translating transmissibility measures into recommendations for coronavirus prevention.

The rapid increase in clinical cases of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, suggests high transmissibility. However, the estimates of the basic reproductive number reported in the literature vary widely. Considering this, we drew the function of contact-rate reduction required to control the transmission from both detectable and undetectable sources. Based on this, we offer a set of recommendations for symptomatic and asymptomatic populations during the current pandemic. Understanding the dynamics of transmission is essential to support government decisions and improve the community's adherence to preventive measures.

Transmission and prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis in a Brazilian setting under a directly observed therapy short-course strategy.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to estimate the prevalence and transmission of drug-resistant tuberculosis in a high-burden Brazilian setting under directly observed therapy short-course strategy. METHODS: Isolates of culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis patients from Guarulhos, Brazil, diagnosed in October 2007-2011 were subjected to drug susceptibility and IS6110-restriction fragment length polymorphism testing. RESULTS: The overall resistance prevalence was 11.5% and the multi-drug resistance rate was 4.2%. Twenty-six (43.3%) of 60 drug-resistant isolates were clustered. Epidemiological relationships were identified in 11 (42.3%) patients; 30.8% of the cases were transmitted in households. CONCLUSIONS: Drug-resistant tuberculosis was relatively low and transmitted in households and the community.