Core principles of Malakit intervention for transferability in other contexts.

To eliminate malaria, all populations must be included. For those who are not reached by the health care system, specific interventions must be tailor-made. An innovative Malakit strategy, based on the distribution of self-diagnosis and self-treatment kits, has been evaluated in the Suriname-French Guiana- Amapá (Brazil) region. The results showed effectiveness and good acceptability. The Malakit intervention is complex and has many components. Its transferability requires adaptation to other populations and regions, while retaining the main features of the intervention. This article provides the keys to adapting, implementing and evaluating it in other contexts facing residual malaria in hard-to-reach and/or mobile populations. The process of transferring this intervention includes: diagnosis of the situation (malaria epidemiology, characteristics of the population affected) to define the relevance of the strategy; determination of the stakeholders and the framework of the intervention (research project or public health intervention); adaptation modalities (adaptation of the kit, training, distribution strategy); the role of community health workers and their need for training and supervision. Finally, evaluation needs are specified in relation to prospects for geographical or temporal extension. Malaria elimination is likely to increasingly involve marginalized people due to climate change and displacement of populations. Evaluation of the transferability and effectiveness of the Malakit strategy in new contexts will be essential to increase and refine the evidence of its value, and to decide whether it could be an additional tool in the arsenal recommended in future WHO guidelines.

Clinical and parasitological features of Leishmania infection among gold miners in the Oiapoque basin, an international Brazil-French Guiana border.

Gold miners working illegally in mines live in poor health conditions related to their strenuous work and precarious housing. Therefore, they are at higher risk for infectious diseases. American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) appears to be of great concern to the population living in the Guiana Shield region. Our aim was to describe their demographic characteristics, the clinical features of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), and the frequency of Leishmania infection in people working in illegal gold mines in French Guiana. A cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2019 in Oiapoque city, Amapá, Brazil. Indeed, many gold miners working in French Guiana are originally from Brazil, and from Oiapoque in particular. A total of 105 participants from 31 different mining sites in French Guiana were recruited. Suspected Leishmania infection was confirmed by the following: detection of kDNA in blood or the lesion site; detection of specific antibodies; or detection of IFN-γ release after blood incubation with leishmanial antigens (IGRA-Leish). Nine active CL cases, 38 healed ATL (hATL) and 58 cases with no history of ATL (noATL), were identified. Only half of the treated hATL (50.0%; n = 14) reported having been assisted by a health care unit and the others treated themselves. PCR-kDNA for Leishmania was positive in the blood of 100% of CL cases. Curiously, blood PCR-kDNA was positive in 13% of hATL patients and in 15.5% of noATL patients. The IGRA-Leish was positive in 60.5% of hATL and in 37.9% of noATL. In addition to scars suggestive of CL, 71% of hATL had laboratory evidence of Leishmania infection. Restriction fragment polymorphism (RFLP) of the hsp70 gene identified a sympatric circulation of L. (V.) guyanensis (n = 4), L. (V.) braziliensis (n = 1), L. (L.) amazonensis (n = 2), L. (V.) shawi (n = 1) and L. (V.) naiffi/shawi (n = 1). Taking the laboratory techniques and the clinical evaluations together, 76% (n = 80) of the 105 participants had evidence of Leishmania infection. These results suggests that illegal gold miners working in French Guiana are at high risk for infection with different species of Leishmania, but their illegal condition and remoteness make it difficult for them to access health services.

Malaria in areas under mining activity in the Amazon: A review.

Deforestation and high human mobility due to mining activities have been key to the increase in malaria cases in the Americas. Here, we review the epidemiological and control aspects of malaria in the Amazon mining areas. Epidemiological evidence shows: 1) a positive correlation between illegal mining activity and malaria incidence, mostly in the Amazon region; 2) most Brazilian miners are males aged 15-29 years who move between states and even countries; 3) miners do not fear the disease and rely on medical care, diagnosis, and medication when they become ill; 4) illegal mining has emerged as the most reported anthropogenic activity within indigenous lands and is identified as a major cause of malaria outbreaks among indigenous people in the Amazon; and 5) because mining is largely illegal, most areas are not covered by any healthcare facilities or activities, leading to little assistance in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria. Our review identified five strategies for reducing the malaria incidence in areas with mining activities: 1) reviewing legislation to control deforestation and mining expansion, particularly in indigenous lands; 2) strengthening malaria surveillance by expanding the network of community health agents to support rapid diagnosis and treatment; 3) reinforcing vector control strategies, such as the use of insecticide-treated nets; 4) integrating deforestation alerts into the national malaria control program; and 5) implementing multi-sectoral activities and providing prompt assistance to indigenous populations. With this roadmap, we can expect a decrease in malaria incidence in the Amazonian mining areas in the future.

Cooperation for malaria control and elimination in the Guiana Shield.

The Guiana Shield, a small region of South America, is currently one of the main hotspots of malaria transmission on the continent. This Amazonian area is characterised by remarkable socioeconomic, cultural, health, and political heterogeneity and a high degree of regional and cross-border population mobility, which has contributed to the increase of malaria in the region in the past few years. In this context, regional cooperation to control malaria represents both a challenge and an indispensable initiative. This Viewpoint advocates for the creation of a regional cooperative mechanism for the elimination of malaria in the Guiana Shield. This strategy would help address operational and political obstacles to successful technical cooperation in the region and could contribute to reversing the regional upsurge in malaria incidence through creating a functional international control and elimination partnership.

Social determinants of health among people working on informal gold mines in French Guiana: a multicentre cross-sectional survey.

INTRODUCTION: Social determinants of health, such as living and working conditions, economical and environmental context and access to care, combine to impact the health of individuals and communities. In French Guiana (FG), the persons working in informal artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the rainforest are a particularly vulnerable population which lives in precarious conditions and far from the health system. Previous studies have demonstrated their high morbidity due to infectious diseases. This study aims to describe the social determinants of health in this specific population. METHODS: This international multicentre cross-sectional survey included people working on the informal FG gold mines at the crossing points located at both borders with Suriname and Brazil. After collecting written informed consent, a structured questionnaire was administered. RESULTS: From September to December 2022, 539 gold miners were included. These poorly educated migrants, mainly from Brazil (99.1%) did not have access to drinkable water (95.4%), lived in close contact with wild fauna by hunting, eating bushmeat or being bitten and were exposed to mercury by inhalation (58.8%) or ingestion (80.5%). They report frequent accidents (13.5%) and chronic treatment interruptions (26.6% of the 11.9% reporting chronic treatment). Half of them considered themselves in good health (56.4%). CONCLUSION: This study shows a singular combination of adverse exposures of gold miners working in FG such as zoonoses, heavy metal poisoning, aggression of wild fauna. For ethical as well as public health reasons, actions towards health equity must be considered at different levels: individual, community, environmental, systemic and global level. As end users of minerals, we must assume our responsibilities for the well-being of the extractors by including health in political decisions to engage together in global health. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05540470.

From an interventional study to a national scale-up: lessons learned from the Malakit strategy at the French Guiana-Suriname border.

Scaling-up an experimental intervention is always a challenge. On the border between French Guiana, Brazil and Suriname, an interventional study demonstrated the effectiveness of distributing self-diagnosis and self-treatment kits (Malakits) to control malaria in mobile and hard-to-reach populations. Its integration into the Suriname's National Malaria Elimination Plan after a 2-year experiment faced numerous challenges, including human resources to cope with the additional workload of coordinators and to maintain the motivation of community health workers. The economic recession in Suriname, the Covid pandemic, and logistical issues also hampered the scale-up. Finally, thanks to the commitment of stakeholders in Suriname and French Guiana, the integration of Malakit distribution into the Surinamese national programme was proved possible.

Population-based genomic study of Plasmodium vivax malaria in seven Brazilian states and across South America.

Background: Brazil is a unique and understudied setting for malaria, with complex foci of transmission associated with human and environmental conditions. An understanding of the population genomic diversity of P. vivax parasites across Brazil can support malaria control strategies. Methods: Through whole genome sequencing of P. vivax isolates across 7 Brazilian states, we use population genomic approaches to compare genetic diversity within country (n = 123), continent (6 countries, n = 315) and globally (26 countries, n = 885). Findings: We confirm that South American isolates are distinct, have more ancestral populations than the other global regions, with differentiating mutations in genes under selective pressure linked to antimalarial drugs (pvmdr1, pvdhfr-ts) and mosquito vectors (pvcrmp3, pvP45/48, pvP47). We demonstrate Brazil as a distinct parasite population, with signals of selection including ABC transporter (PvABCI3) and PHIST exported proteins. Interpretation: Brazil has a complex population structure, with evidence of P. simium infections and Amazonian parasites separating into multiple clusters. Overall, our work provides the first Brazil-wide analysis of P. vivax population structure and identifies important mutations, which can inform future research and control measures. Funding: AI is funded by an MRC LiD PhD studentship. TGC is funded by the Medical Research Council (Grant no. MR/M01360X/1, MR/N010469/1, MR/R025576/1, MR/R020973/1 and MR/X005895/1). SC is funded by Medical Research Council UK grants (MR/M01360X/1, MR/R025576/1, MR/R020973/1 and MR/X005895/1) and Bloomsbury SET (ref. CCF17-7779). FN is funded by The Shloklo Malaria Research Unit - part of the Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, supported by the Wellcome Trust (Grant no. 220211). ARSB is funded by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP (Grant no. 2002/09546-1). RLDM is funded by Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - CNPq (Grant no. 302353/2003-8 and 471605/2011-5); CRFM is funded by FAPESP (Grant no. 2020/06747-4) and CNPq (Grant no. 302917/2019-5 and 408636/2018-1); JGD is funded by FAPESP fellowships (2016/13465-0 and 2019/12068-5) and CNPq (Grant no. 409216/2018-6).

Training-of-trainers program for community health workers involved in an innovative and community-based intervention against malaria among goldminers in the Guiana shield: a quality and effectiveness evaluation.

Introduction: An innovative and community-based intervention is implemented in the Guiana Shield to eliminate malaria among people involved in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. The intervention consists of the distribution of malaria self-management kits to goldminers and the presumptive treatment for individuals at risk of carrying Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites. The intervention is possible owing to community health workers (CHWs) who are previously trained to master all intervention procedures, including health education activities and goldmining training. This study aimed to evaluate the training program provided to CHWs in terms of quality and effectiveness. Methods: A training-of-trainers program for CHWs has been developed based on the CDC framework. A mixed-method case study was implemented in two steps between February and March 2023. The evaluation was based on a knowledge survey, satisfaction test, observations, and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed and triangulated. Results: A total of 20 CHWs participated in the training and the first-step evaluation. For the second step, four semi-structured interviews were conducted. The Qualitative data showed that group dynamics and adaptations were central elements of a high-quality training program. Quantitative analysis found that CHWs' satisfaction was elevated (> 4/5 overall), especially regarding format and learning results. Improvements in knowledge level demonstrated good effectiveness (pre-training vs. post-training, p < 0.05). Nevertheless, some difficulties persisted regarding tasks of the intervention procedure, such as informed consent and smartphone application procedures (with an inaccuracy rate of 29.2% and 16.7%, respectively). Further on-the-job training permitted to address these issues. The project team's previous experience and the Guiana Shield countries' commitment to the WHO-E-2025-initiative were identified as levers for the quality of the training, while the complexity of the project context was a challenge. Discussion: High-quality, effective, and appropriate training programs are required for effective and sustainable interventions involving CHW profiles. Training design is a crucial point to address to accomplish quality and effectiveness. The training-of-trainers model has been shown to allow a high level of satisfaction, good learning results, and satisfactory implementation in the field. Initial and continuing training is an indispensable continuum to sustain good practices in the field and CHWs' motivation. Training evaluation permits standardizing methods and facilitates transferability.

Planejamento e gestão do processo de trabalho em saúde: avanços e limites no Subsistema de Atenção à Saúde Indígena do SUS / Planning and management of the health work process: advances and limits in the SUS-Indigenous Health Care Subsystem

Resumo O Subsistema de Atenção à Saúde Indígena (SasiSUS), como parte do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), é responsável pela atenção à saúde dos povos indígenas do Brasil. Em âmbito local, são os Distritos Sanitários Especiais Indígenas (DSEI) os responsáveis pela gestão, planejamento e organização do processo de trabalho das equipes multidisciplinares de saúde indígena (EMSI), que realizam a atenção primária à saúde para essa população. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar como ocorrem o planejamento e a gestão do processo de trabalho das EMSI. Foi realizado um estudo de casos múltiplos holístico, considerando sete DSEI como unidades de análise. A principal fonte de dados utilizada foi a entrevista e, de forma complementar, a observação direta. Os resultados indicaram que, de forma geral, o planejamento está presente na organização do processo de trabalho das equipes, com variações entre os DSEI. A efetivação das ações planejadas foi relacionada à disponibilidade de diferentes recursos: funcionamento adequado do sistema de informação e a articulação intra e intersetorial do SasiSUS. Como conclusão, apontou-se a necessidade de radicalização da participação no planejamento e na gestão, necessária a uma ação coordenada para garantia da atenção diferenciada e dos princípios do SUS.

Abstract The Indigenous Health Care Subsystem (SasiSUS), as part of the Brazilian National Health System (SUS), is responsible for health care for indigenous peoples in Brazil. At the local level, the Special Indigenous Health Districts (DSEI) are responsible for managing, planning, and organizing the work process of the multidisciplinary indigenous health teams (EMSI), which provide primary health care for this population. The objective of the study was to analyze how the planning and the management of the EMSI work process occurs. A holistic multiple-case study was carried out, considering seven DSEI as units of analysis. The main source of data used were interviews and, in a complementary way, direct observation. The results indicated that, in general, planning is present in the organization of the teams' work process, with variations between the DSEI. Carrying out the planned actions was related to the availability of different resources: adequate functioning of the information system and the intra and intersectoral articulation of SasiSUS. As a conclusion, the need to radicalize participation in planning and management, necessary for a coordinated action to guarantee differentiated care and the principles of SUS, was pointed out.

Impact of Malakit intervention on perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to malaria among workers in clandestine gold mines in French Guiana: results of multicentric cross-sectional surveys over time.

BACKGROUND: Clandestine gold miners remain key hosts for malaria in French Guiana (FG) and contribute to imported malaria cases in Suriname and Brazil. The Malakit intervention, implemented in FG borders with Suriname and Brazil, provided gold miners with training on malaria and kits for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. Having shown a likely impact on malaria transmission, Suriname has now implemented it in routine care for cross-border moving populations. However, a decrease in malaria transmission is frequently associated with a decrease in risk perception, knowledge, and good practices regarding malaria. This study aims to describe the evolution of the perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to malaria among clandestine gold miners between 2015 and 2019, and to estimate the impact of Malakit on the FG/Suriname border. METHODS: The primary outcome was the overall KAP score over time and among participants and not participants in the Malakit intervention. A propensity score matching analysis and an inverse probability of treatment weighing analysis were used to estimate the Average Treatment effect on the Treated and the Average Treatment Effect of Malakit, respectively. RESULTS: Perception and knowledge scores were significantly lower in 2019 compared to 2015 (- 0.27 and - 0.23 points, respectively, p < 0.001) while attitude and practice scores were higher (+ 0.16 and + 0.47 points, respectively, p < 0.001). The overall KAP score was significantly higher among participants in Malakit with both propensity score matching (+ 0.72 points, 95%IC [0.29; 1.15]) and inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis (+ 0.70 points, 95%IC [0.34; 1.05]). CONCLUSION: A decrease in perception and knowledge about malaria but an improvement of attitudes and practices as the incidence of malaria decreased are observed. The Malakit intervention seems to have a significant positive impact on the overall KAP related to malaria. The integration of this strategy into malaria control programmes could help to improve the KAP, even in areas where malaria is nearly eliminated, through optimal training and health empowerment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT03695770.

Sexual and addictive risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections in illegal gold miners in French Guiana: A multicenter observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Common representations of the world of gold mining-especially illegal-are usually negative: the activity conjures up images of drug trafficking, human exploitation, the sex trade, environmental destruction, and infectious diseases, in particular sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of the present article is to describe the levels of risk behaviors such as transactional sex, multiple sexual partners, and the frequency of condom use, addictive substance consumption, and the prevalence of STIs among the population of illegal gold miners in French Guiana (FG), a French overseas entity in Amazonia, in order to guide potential interventions. METHODS: An observational multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out from October to December 2019 along the two borders of FG with Suriname and Brazil at rest sites used by the miners. RESULTS: Among the 499 participants, transactional sex was very prevalent, declared by 33.5% of men and 8.4% of women. Condoms were more frequently used for transactional sex than with a non-commercial partner (93.4% versus 42.1%). More women were tested for HIV than men (91.1% versus 55.2%). Excessive alcohol consumption (57.3%%) and tobacco use (41.2%) were very frequent, but cocaine or crack consumption was low (1.2%), which refuted our initial assumption. Consumers of alcohol had more sexual partners and reported condom use more frequently. Prevalence of HIV, HCV, HBV, and syphilis was respectively 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1-2.1), 2.1% (95% CI: 0.7-3.6), 1.6% (95% CI: 0.3-2.8), and 12.4% (95% CI: 9.0-15.7), which was higher than in the local population, especially for syphilis. CONCLUSION: This study documents for the first time the risk behaviors of gold miners in FG. Although the level of condom use was high, the prevalence of STIs combined with the high rate of transactional sex should encourage an increase in prevention and screening, in particular through rapid tests, given the mobility of the population concerned.

Zoonoses and gold mining: A cross-sectional study to assess yellow fever immunization, Q fever, leptospirosis and leishmaniasis among the population working on illegal mining camps in French Guiana.

BACKGROUND: Most emerging pathogens are zoonoses and have a wildlife origin. Anthropization and disruption of ecosystems favor the crossing of inter-species barriers. We hypothesize that the marginalized population of undocumented goldminers in the Amazon is at risk of acquiring zoonoses. METHOD: A multicentric cross-sectional study included consenting gold-mining adult workers in 2019. A clinical examination recorded dermatological signs of leishmaniosis and past history of yellow fever vaccination. Biological tests were performed for yellow fever, Q fever and leptospirosis serologies. Additional blood samples from a previous study in 2015 were also tested for leptospirosis. RESULTS: In 2019, 380 individuals were included in the study, along with 407 samples from the 2015 biological collection. The seroprevalence of leptospirosis was 31.0% [95%CI = 26.4-35.5] in 2015 and 28.1% [23.5-32.7] in 2019. The seroprevalence of Q fever was 2.9% [1.2-4.6]. The majority of participants reported being vaccinated against yellow fever (93.6%) and 97.9% had seroneutralizing antibodies. The prevalence of suspected active mucocutaneous leishmaniasis was 2.4% [0.8-3.9]. DISCUSSION: These unique data shed new light on the transmission cycles of zoonoses still poorly understood in the region. They support the existence of a wild cycle of leptospirosis but not of Q fever. Leishmaniasis prevalence was high because of life conditions and tree felling. High yellow fever vaccine coverage was reassuring in this endemic area. In the era of global health, special attention must be paid to these vulnerable populations in direct contact with the tropical ecosystem and away from the health care system.

Tailoring Mobile Data Collection for Intervention Research in a Challenging Context: Development and Implementation in the Malakit Study.

BACKGROUND: An interventional study named Malakit was implemented between April 2018 and March 2020 to address malaria in gold mining areas in French Guiana, in collaboration with Suriname and Brazil. This innovative intervention relied on the distribution of kits for self-diagnosis and self-treatment to gold miners after training by health mediators, referred to in the project as facilitators. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to describe the process by which the information system was designed, developed, and implemented to achieve the monitoring and evaluation of the Malakit intervention. METHODS: The intervention was implemented in challenging conditions at five cross-border distribution sites, which imposed strong logistical constraints for the design of the information system: isolation in the Amazon rainforest, tropical climate, and lack of reliable electricity supply and internet connection. Additional constraints originated from the interaction of the multicultural players involved in the study. The Malakit information system was developed as a patchwork of existing open-source software, commercial services, and tools developed in-house. Facilitators collected data from participants using Android tablets with ODK (Open Data Kit) Collect. A custom R package and a dashboard web app were developed to retrieve, decrypt, aggregate, monitor, and clean data according to feedback from facilitators and supervision visits on the field. RESULTS: Between April 2018 and March 2020, nine facilitators generated a total of 4863 form records, corresponding to an average of 202 records per month. Facilitators' feedback was essential for adapting and improving mobile data collection and monitoring. Few technical issues were reported. The median duration of data capture was 5 (IQR 3-7) minutes, suggesting that electronic data capture was not taking more time from participants, and it decreased over the course of the study as facilitators become more experienced. The quality of data collected by facilitators was satisfactory, with only 3.03% (147/4849) of form records requiring correction. CONCLUSIONS: The development of the information system for the Malakit project was a source of innovation that mirrored the inventiveness of the intervention itself. Our experience confirms that even in a challenging environment, it is possible to produce good-quality data and evaluate a complex health intervention by carefully adapting tools to field constraints and health mediators' experience. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03695770; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03695770.

[Study of the evaluability of the Information System on Indigenous Health: potentialities and challenges for supporting local health administration]. / Estudo de avaliabilidade do Sistema de Informação da Atenção à Saúde Indígena: potencialidades e desafios para apoiar a gestão em saúde no nível local.

The article's objective is to present the results of the study on the evaluability of the Information System on Indigenous Health (SIASI) and its implications for local health administration. The study was performed with the following stages: description of the intervention, description of potential users, and context analysis (internal and external). The following data collection techniques were adopted: document analysis, interviews with key informants, and a workshop. Modeling of the SIASI in the Special Indigenous Health District Upper Solimões River (Amazonas State) and Special Indigenous Health District Eastern Roraima (Roraima State) allowed a schematic view of the system's mode of functioning, considering the peculiarities of the decentralized and centralized information flow. Context analysis pointed to acknowledgment of the SIASI as a tool for organization of the work process in the multidisciplinary indigenous health team (EMSI) and for follow-up of the health situation, despite low utilization of the information in the territories. Persistent challenges include infrastructure problems and fragmentation of information, causing an increase in rework in feeding the data. One key feature is the creation of the Local SIASI Panel, generating dynamic and interactive reports on the health situation. In conclusion, the capacity for use of the SIASI as a tool to support local management can be enhanced by expanding the decentralization of the information flow.

O objetivo do artigo é apresentar os resultados do estudo de avaliabilidade do Sistema de Informação da Atenção à Saúde Indígena (SIASI) e suas implicações para a gestão em saúde no nível local. O estudo foi desenvolvido com base nas seguintes etapas: descrição da intervenção, descrição dos usuários potenciais e análise de contexto (interno e externo). Para tanto, adotaram-se as seguintes técnicas de coleta de dados: análise documental, entrevistas com informantes-chave e oficina de trabalho. A modelização do SIASI no Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena (DSEI) Alto Rio Solimões (Amazonas) e no DSEI Leste Roraima (Roraima) possibilitou a visualização esquemática do modo de funcionamento do sistema, considerando-se as peculiaridades do fluxo de informação descentralizado e centralizado. A análise de contexto aponta para o reconhecimento do SIASI como ferramenta para a organização do processo de trabalho das equipes multidisciplinares de saúde indígena (EMSI) e o acompanhamento da situação de saúde, ainda que ocorra baixa utilização das informações nos territórios. Entre os desafios, persistem os problemas de infraestrutura e a fragmentação das informações, provocando aumento do retrabalho na alimentação dos dados. Como potencialidade, destaca-se a criação do Painel SIASI Local, que gera relatórios dinâmicos e interativos sobre a situação de saúde. Conclui-se que a capacidade de utilização do SIASI como ferramenta de apoio à gestão pelo nível local pode ser potencializada com a ampliação do processo de descentralização do fluxo de informações.

El objetivo del artículo es presentar los resultados del estudio de evaluabilidad del Sistema de Información de Atención en Salud al Indígena (SIASI) y sus implicaciones para la gestión sanitaria en el nivel local. El estudio se desarrolló en base a las siguientes etapas: descripción de la intervención, descripción de los usuarios potenciales y análisis de contexto (interno y externo). Para tal fin se adoptaron las siguientes técnicas de recogida de datos: análisis documental, entrevistas con informantes-clave y taller de trabajo. La modelización del SIASI en el Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena (DSEI) Alto Rio Solimões (Amazonas) y en el DSEI Leste Roraima (Roraima) posibilitó la visualización esquemática del modo de funcionamiento del sistema, considerándose las peculiaridades del flujo de información descentralizado y centralizado. El análisis de contexto apunta al reconocimiento del SIASI como herramienta para la organización del proceso de trabajo de los equipos multidisciplinares de salud indígena (EMSI) y el seguimiento de la situación de salud, aunque exista una baja utilización de la información en los territorios. Entre los desafíos persisten los problemas de infraestructura y fragmentación de la información, provocando un aumento del retrabajo en la alimentación de datos. Como potencialidad se destaca la creación del Panel SIASI Local que genera informes dinámicos e interactivos sobre la situación de salud. Se concluye que la capacidad de utilización del SIASI como herramienta de apoyo a la gestión por parte del nivel local puede potenciarse con la ampliación del proceso de descentralización del flujo de información.

Implementation of a novel malaria management strategy based on self-testing and self-treatment in remote areas in the Amazon (Malakit): confronting a-priori assumptions with reality.

BACKGROUND: A novel strategy to combat malaria was tested using a methodology adapted to a complex setting in the Amazon region and a hard-to-reach, mobile community. The intervention strategy tested was the distribution, after training, of malaria self-management kits to gold miners who cross the Surinamese and Brazilian borders with French Guiana to work illegally in the remote mining sites in the forest of this French overseas entity. MAIN TEXT: This article aims at presenting all process and implementation outcomes following the Conceptual Framework of Implementation Fidelity i.e. adherence, including content and exposure, and moderators, comprising participant responsiveness, quality of delivery, facilitation strategies, and context. The information sources are the post-intervention survey, data collected longitudinally during the intervention, a qualitative study, data collected during an outreach mission to a remote gold mining site, supervisory visit reports, in-depth feedback from the project implementers, and videos self-recorded by facilitators based on opened ended questions. As expected, being part of or close to the study community was an essential condition to enable deliverers, referred to as "facilitators", to overcome the usual wariness of this gold mining population. Overall, the content of the intervention was in line with what was planned. With an estimated one third of the population reached, exposure was satisfactory considering the challenging context, but improvable by increasing ad hoc off-site distribution according to needs. Participant responsiveness was the main strength of the intervention, but could be enhanced by reducing the duration of the process to get a kit, which could be disincentive in some places. Regarding the quality of delivery, the main issue was the excess of information provided to participants rather than a lack of information, but this was corrected over time. The expected decrease in malaria incidence became a source of reduced interest in the kit. Expanding the scope of facilitators' responsibilities could be a suitable response. Better articulation with existing malaria management services is recommended to ensure sustainability. CONCLUSIONS: These findings supplement the evaluation outcomes for assessing the relevance of the strategy and provide useful information to perpetuate and transfer it in comparable contexts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov.  NCT03695770 . 10/02/2018 "Retrospectively registered".

Malaria at international borders: challenges for elimination on the remote Brazil-Peru border.

Understanding local epidemiology is essential to reduce the burden of malaria in complex contexts, such as Brazilian municipalities that share borders with endemic countries. A descriptive study of malaria in the period 2003 to 2020 was conducted using data from the Malaria Epidemiological Surveillance Information System related to a remote municipality with an extensive border with Peru to understand the disease transmission, focusing on the obstacles to its elimination. The transmission increases at the end of the rainy season. During the period of 18 years, 53,575 malaria cases were reported (Mean of API 224.7 cases/1,000), of which 11% were imported from Peru. Thirteen outbreaks of malaria were observed during the studied period, the last one in 2018. The highest burden of cases was caused by P. vivax (73.2%), but P. falciparum was also prevalent at the beginning of the study period (50% in 2006). Several changes in the epidemiological risk were observed: (1) the proportion of international imported cases of malaria changed from 30.7% in 2003 to 3.5% in 2020 (p<0.05); (2) indigenous people affected increased from 24.3% in 2003 to 89.5% in 2020 (p<0.0001); (3) infected children and adolescents < 15 years old increased from 50.2% in 2003 to 67.4% in 2020 (p<0.01); (4) the proportion of men decreased from 56.7% in 2003 to 50.4% in 2020 (p<0.01); (5) the likelihood of P. falciparum malaria has significantly declined (p<0.01). The number of cases and the incidence of malaria in 2019 and 2020 were the lowest in the period of 18 years. The burden of malaria in indigenous areas and its determinants, seasonality, geographical access and the long international border are obstacles for the elimination of malaria that must be overcome.

Malaria in Haiti: A descriptive study on spatial and temporal profile from 2009 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Haiti is one of the Caribbean countries where malaria persists. More than 99% of malaria cases are caused by Plasmodium falciparum, the main vector being the mosquito Anopheles albimanus. In this paper, we describe the epidemiological profile of malaria in Haiti between 2009 and 2018. METHODS: We analyzed information on cases reported by the Ministry of Health of Haiti and the World Health Organization (WHO). RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2018, 232,479 malaria cases were reported by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP); an increase in the incidence of malaria in the country in 2010, followed by a decrease in 2011, was primarily observed. Due to recent efforts to reduce malaria by 2020, its incidence declined from 60,130 cases in 2010 to 8,978 cases in 2018. Controversially, in terms of the number of reported cases, the MSPP and WHO report conflicting data. However, the results from both datasets present the same trend in Haiti from 2009 to 2018. The results also illustrate the endemicity of the disease throughout Haiti, both in rural and urban areas, especially along the coast. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the need to promote official data collection and analyses, as well as the application of epidemiological surveillance of malaria at the municipal level, for a better understanding of the real impact of malaria on the Haitian population and to create more appropriate interventions.

Malaria in Haiti: A descriptive study on spatial and temporal profile from 2009 to 2018

ABSTRACT Background: Haiti is one of the Caribbean countries where malaria persists. More than 99% of malaria cases are caused by Plasmodium falciparum, the main vector being the mosquito Anopheles albimanus. In this paper, we describe the epidemiological profile of malaria in Haiti between 2009 and 2018. Methods We analyzed information on cases reported by the Ministry of Health of Haiti and the World Health Organization (WHO). Results: Between 2009 and 2018, 232,479 malaria cases were reported by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP); an increase in the incidence of malaria in the country in 2010, followed by a decrease in 2011, was primarily observed. Due to recent efforts to reduce malaria by 2020, its incidence declined from 60,130 cases in 2010 to 8,978 cases in 2018. Controversially, in terms of the number of reported cases, the MSPP and WHO report conflicting data. However, the results from both datasets present the same trend in Haiti from 2009 to 2018. The results also illustrate the endemicity of the disease throughout Haiti, both in rural and urban areas, especially along the coast. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the need to promote official data collection and analyses, as well as the application of epidemiological surveillance of malaria at the municipal level, for a better understanding of the real impact of malaria on the Haitian population and to create more appropriate interventions.

Estudo de avaliabilidade do Sistema de Informação da Atenção à Saúde Indígena: potencialidades e desafios para apoiar a gestão em saúde no nível local / Study of the evaluability of the Information System on Indigenous Health: potentialities and challenges for supporting local health administration / Estudio de evaluabilidad del Sistema de Información de Atención en Salud al Indígena: potencialidades y desafíos para apoyar la gestión en salud en el nivel local

O objetivo do artigo é apresentar os resultados do estudo de avaliabilidade do Sistema de Informação da Atenção à Saúde Indígena (SIASI) e suas implicações para a gestão em saúde no nível local. O estudo foi desenvolvido com base nas seguintes etapas: descrição da intervenção, descrição dos usuários potenciais e análise de contexto (interno e externo). Para tanto, adotaram-se as seguintes técnicas de coleta de dados: análise documental, entrevistas com informantes-chave e oficina de trabalho. A modelização do SIASI no Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena (DSEI) Alto Rio Solimões (Amazonas) e no DSEI Leste Roraima (Roraima) possibilitou a visualização esquemática do modo de funcionamento do sistema, considerando-se as peculiaridades do fluxo de informação descentralizado e centralizado. A análise de contexto aponta para o reconhecimento do SIASI como ferramenta para a organização do processo de trabalho das equipes multidisciplinares de saúde indígena (EMSI) e o acompanhamento da situação de saúde, ainda que ocorra baixa utilização das informações nos territórios. Entre os desafios, persistem os problemas de infraestrutura e a fragmentação das informações, provocando aumento do retrabalho na alimentação dos dados. Como potencialidade, destaca-se a criação do Painel SIASI Local, que gera relatórios dinâmicos e interativos sobre a situação de saúde. Conclui-se que a capacidade de utilização do SIASI como ferramenta de apoio à gestão pelo nível local pode ser potencializada com a ampliação do processo de descentralização do fluxo de informações.

The article's objective is to present the results of the study on the evaluability of the Information System on Indigenous Health (SIASI) and its implications for local health administration. The study was performed with the following stages: description of the intervention, description of potential users, and context analysis (internal and external). The following data collection techniques were adopted: document analysis, interviews with key informants, and a workshop. Modeling of the SIASI in the Special Indigenous Health District Upper Solimões River (Amazonas State) and Special Indigenous Health District Eastern Roraima (Roraima State) allowed a schematic view of the system's mode of functioning, considering the peculiarities of the decentralized and centralized information flow. Context analysis pointed to acknowledgment of the SIASI as a tool for organization of the work process in the multidisciplinary indigenous health team (EMSI) and for follow-up of the health situation, despite low utilization of the information in the territories. Persistent challenges include infrastructure problems and fragmentation of information, causing an increase in rework in feeding the data. One key feature is the creation of the Local SIASI Panel, generating dynamic and interactive reports on the health situation. In conclusion, the capacity for use of the SIASI as a tool to support local management can be enhanced by expanding the decentralization of the information flow.

El objetivo del artículo es presentar los resultados del estudio de evaluabilidad del Sistema de Información de Atención en Salud al Indígena (SIASI) y sus implicaciones para la gestión sanitaria en el nivel local. El estudio se desarrolló en base a las siguientes etapas: descripción de la intervención, descripción de los usuarios potenciales y análisis de contexto (interno y externo). Para tal fin se adoptaron las siguientes técnicas de recogida de datos: análisis documental, entrevistas con informantes-clave y taller de trabajo. La modelización del SIASI en el Distrito Sanitário Especial Indígena (DSEI) Alto Rio Solimões (Amazonas) y en el DSEI Leste Roraima (Roraima) posibilitó la visualización esquemática del modo de funcionamiento del sistema, considerándose las peculiaridades del flujo de información descentralizado y centralizado. El análisis de contexto apunta al reconocimiento del SIASI como herramienta para la organización del proceso de trabajo de los equipos multidisciplinares de salud indígena (EMSI) y el seguimiento de la situación de salud, aunque exista una baja utilización de la información en los territorios. Entre los desafíos persisten los problemas de infraestructura y fragmentación de la información, provocando un aumento del retrabajo en la alimentación de datos. Como potencialidad se destaca la creación del Panel SIASI Local que genera informes dinámicos e interactivos sobre la situación de salud. Se concluye que la capacidad de utilización del SIASI como herramienta de apoyo a la gestión por parte del nivel local puede potenciarse con la ampliación del proceso de descentralización del flujo de información.

Desigualdade social e vulnerabilidade dos povos indígenas no enfrentamento da Covid-19: um olhar dos atores nas lives / Social inequality and vulnerability of Indigenous peoples facing COVID-19: a perspective by stakeholders in the lives

RESUMO A pandemia da Covid-19 tem evidenciado as profundas desigualdades da sociedade brasileira para o enfrentamento adequado dessa catástrofe sanitária. Este estudo buscou compreender as repercussões da Covid-19 nos povos indígenas brasileiros e a sua forma de organização no contexto de desigualdade social e vulnerabilidade. Realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa a partir da análise de lives. A busca foi feita via plataforma YouTube usando como descritores "coronavírus e indígena" e "covid e população indígena", totalizando 56 lives - que permitiram analisar diversos olhares para o enfrentamento da pandemia, sendo evidente que o ponto de partida para prevenção, vigilância, atenção em saúde e comunicação da Covid-19 entre os povos indígenas é totalmente diferente do resto da população. O protagonismo da sociedade civil indígena está sendo extremamente relevante para o enfrentamento da pandemia. A profunda desigualdade social e as múltiplas vulnerabilidades dos povos indígenas são realidades que devem ser entendidas para superar os enormes desafios produzidos, não somente pela Covid-19, mas fundamentalmente pelo atual contexto de invisibilização, desconhecimento e ataque às sociedades indígenas brasileiras. O controle social ficou muito fragilizado, e urge seu fortalecimento para criar um modelo de saúde diferenciado que realmente contemple os interesses e modos de vida desses povos.

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the deep inequalities of Brazilian society to address this health-related catastrophe. This study aimed to understand the repercussions of COVID-19 on Brazilian Indigenous peoples and how they organize in the context of social inequalities and vulnerabilities. Qualitative research was conducted based on the analysis of 'lives'. The search was performed on YouTube using descriptors "coronavirus and Indigenous" and "COVID and Indigenous population", totaling 56 live events, which allowed us to analyze different perspectives on the fight against the pandemic showing that the starting point for COVID-19 prevention, surveillance, health care, and communication among Indigenous peoples is different from the rest of the population. The leading role of the Indigenous civil society is highly relevant to the fight against the pandemic. The profound inequality and the multiple vulnerabilities of Indigenous peoples are realities that must be understood to overcome the enormous challenges produced not only by COVID-19 and, fundamentally, the current context of invisibility, ignorance, and attack on Brazilian Indigenous societies. Social control has been weakened, and its strengthening is urgent to create a differentiated health model that considers these people's interests and ways of life.