Temporal and spatial distribution trends of polio vaccine coverage in less than one-year old children in Brazil, 2011-2021.

BACKGROUND: Low polio vaccine coverage can result in the spread of Poliovirus to areas free from viral circulation. This study analyzed the temporal trends and spatial distribution of polio vaccine coverage in one year-old children in Brazil, between 2011 and 2021. METHODS: This was an ecological, time-series study (2011 to 2021) with annual vaccine coverages against poliomyelitis, extracted from the Information System of the National Immunization Program from the 26 States and the Distrito Federal (DF). The percentage reductions in vaccination coverage in Brazil and in the Regions were calculated. Prais-Winsten regression models were used to analyze time series for the Regions and States, and spatial analysis identified the distribution of clusters (high-high; low-low; high-low and low-high) of vaccination coverages across Brazilian municipalities, using a 5% significance level. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2021, the coverage of polio vaccines decreased by 29,9%. There was a progressive increase observed in clusters resulting in low vaccination coverages (140 low-low Brazilian municipalities in 2011 vs. 403 in 2021), mostly reported in the North and Northeast regions of the country. There was a downward trend in vaccination coverages in 24 of the 26 States and DF (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in polio vaccine coverage, as observed in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, may favor the spread of Poliovirus. Therefore, vaccination strategies should be prioritized for children residing in areas with sharp and recurrent declines in vaccination coverages, including travelers, migrants, and refugees.

Resurgence risk for malaria, and the characterization of a recent outbreak in an Amazonian border area between French Guiana and Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In 2017, inhabitants along the border between French Guiana and Brazil were affected by a malaria outbreak primarily due to Plasmodium vivax (Pv). While malaria cases have steadily declined between 2005 and 2016 in this Amazonian region, a resurgence was observed in 2017. METHODS: Two investigations were performed according to different spatial scales and information details: (1) a local study on the French Guiana border, which enabled a thorough investigation of malaria cases treated at a local village health center and the entomological circumstances in the most affected neighborhood, and (2) a regional and cross-border study, which enabled exploration of the regional spatiotemporal epidemic dynamic. Number and location of malaria cases were estimated using French and Brazilian surveillance systems. RESULTS: On the French Guianese side of the border in Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock, the attack rate was 5.5% (n = 4000), reaching 51.4% (n = 175) in one Indigenous neighborhood. Entomological findings suggest a peak of Anopheles darlingi density in August and September. Two female An. darlingi (n = 1104, 0.18%) were found to be Pv-positive during this peak. During the same period, aggregated data from passive surveillance conducted by Brazilian and French Guianese border health centers identified 1566 cases of Pv infection. Temporal distribution during the 2007-2018 period displayed seasonal patterns with a peak in November 2017. Four clusters were identified among epidemic profiles of cross-border area localities. All localities of the first two clusters were Brazilian. The localization of the first cluster suggests an onset of the outbreak in an Indigenous reservation, subsequently expanding to French Indigenous neighborhoods and non-Native communities. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings demonstrate a potential increase in malaria cases in an area with otherwise declining numbers. This is a transborder region where human mobility and remote populations challenge malaria control programs. This investigation illustrates the importance of international border surveillance and collaboration for malaria control, particularly in Indigenous villages and mobile populations.

Manifestation and sociodemographic microdata of Brazil's Unified Health System Ombudsman.

OBJECTIVES: This article presents the process of extraction and treatment of two datasets from the General Ombudsman of the Brazilian Unified Health System (OUVSUS). The resulting datasets allow the analysis of manifestation characteristics and sociodemographic profile of the citizens that performed these manifestations. DATA DESCRIPTION: The first dataset depicts the characteristics of the manifestations registered by the General Ombudsman. Each row represents an individual manifestation and contains information such as the registration date, classification, input channel, and subject, among others. The second dataset is constituted of sociodemographic information for each citizen that performed a manifestation, and characteristics such as sexual orientation, race, age, and geographic location of the citizen are presented, among others.

Covid-19 Fiocruz Observatory - an analysis of the evolution of the pandemic from February 2020 to April 2022. / Observatório Covid-19 Fiocruz - uma análise da evolução da pandemia de fevereiro de 2020 a abril de 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the living and working conditions of the entire population of Brazil, having a different and more intense effect on groups considered to be vulnerable. The objective of this article is to present an overview of the evolution of the pandemic in the country according to the bulletins of the Covid-19 Fiocruz Observatory in the period between the declarations of the beginning and end of the Public Health Emergency of National Concern (ESPIN, in Portuguese), February 2020 to April 2022. Several of the indicators adopted in the 69 bulletins published for the analysis of the pandemic were used, such as cases and deaths due to SARIs and COVID-19, age groups, % of occupancy of ICU beds, and vaccination, among others. The evolution analysis was organized between years and phases of the pandemic, seeking to highlight what characterized each moment. The closing statement of ESPIN in Brazil coincides with the discussions on the transition from a pandemic to an endemic scenario, without this representing the elimination of the virus, infections, and disease, posing the challenges of advances in vaccination processes in Brazil and around the world, as well as living with scenarios that may require the adoption of temporary protection measures in epidemic periods and periods of greater risk for vulnerable groups.

A pandemia de COVID-19 teve um imenso impacto nas condições de vida e trabalho de toda a população do país, impactando de modo diferenciado e mais intenso os grupos considerados vulneráveis. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um panorama da evolução da pandemia no país segundo os boletins do Observatório Covid-19 Fiocruz, no período entre as declarações de início e de encerramento da Emergência em Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional (ESPIN), fevereiro de 2020 a abril de 2022. Foram utilizados diversos dos indicadores adotados nos 69 boletins publicados para a análise da pandemia, como casos e óbitos por SRAGs e COVID-19, grupos etários, taxas de ocupação de leitos UTI e vacinação, entre outros. A análise da evolução foi organizada entre anos e fases da pandemia, procurando destacar o que caracterizou cada momento. A declaração de encerramento da ESPIN no Brasil coincide com as discussões acerca da transição de pandemia para a endemia, sem que isso represente a eliminação do vírus, das infecções e da doença, colocando-se os desafios de avanços nos processos de vacinação no Brasil e no mundo e da convivência com cenários que poderão exigir a adoção de medidas de proteção temporárias em períodos epidêmicos e de maior risco para grupos vulneráveis.

A comprehensive integrated dataset on Brazilian health facilities: from 2005 to 2021.

OBJECTIVES: The National Registry of Healthcare Facilities is a system with the registry of every healthcare facility in Brazil with information on the capacity building and healthcare workforce regarding its public or private nature. Despite being publicly available, it can only be accessed in separated disjoint tables, with different primary units of analysis. The objective is to offer an interoperable dataset containing monthly data from 2005 to 2021 with information on healthcare facilities, including their physical and human resources, services and teams, enriched with municipal information. DATA DESCRIPTION: Database with historical data and geographic information for each health facility in Brazil. It is composed by 5 distinct tables, organized according to combinations of time, space, and types of resources, services and teams. This database opens up a range of possibilities for research topics, from case studies in a single health facility and period, analysis of a group of health facilities with characteristics of interest, to a broader study using the entire dataset and aggregated data by municipality. Furthermore, the fact that there is a row for each health facility/month/year facilitates the integration with other datasets from the Brazilian healthcare system. In addition to being a potential object of study in the health area, the dataset is also convenient in data science, especially for studies focused on time series.

Dataset on infant mortality rates in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: Surveillance of infant and fetal deaths is of paramount importance in thinking about government strategies to reduce these rates, provide greater visibility of these mortality figures in the country, enable the adoption of prevention measures, as well as contribute to a better record of deaths. DATA DESCRIPTION: The dataset comprises fetal, neonatal, early neonatal, late neonatal, and perinatal Mortality Rates of Brazilian municipalities with their respective information, between 2010 to 2020, aggregated by epidemiological week.

How to overcome the stagnation of the first dose vaccine coverage curve against coronavirus disease 2019 in Brazil?

BACKGROUND: A large percentage of the population has not yet started vaccination, for which the increase in coverage is almost null. METHODS: We used segmented regression analysis to estimate trends in the first dose coverage curve. RESULTS: There has been a slowdown in the application of the first doses in Brazil since epidemiological week 36 (average percent change [APC] 0.83%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-0.91%), with a trend close to stagnation. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to develop strategies to increase access to vaccination posts. Furthermore, it is recommended to expand vaccination to children, thereby increasing the eligible population.

Geographic accessibility to cancer treatment in Brazil: A network analysis.

Background: Geographic accessibility to healthcare services is a fundamental component in achieving universal health coverage, the central commitment of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). For cancer patients, poor accessibility has been associated with inadequate treatment, worse prognosis, and poorer quality of life. Methods: We explored nationwide healthcare data from the SUS health information systems, and mapped the geographic accessibility to cancer treatment in two time-frames: 2009-2010 and 2017-2018. We applied social network analysis (SNA) to estimate the commuting route, flow, and distances travelled by cancer patients to undergo surgical, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy treatment. Findings: A total of 12,751,728 treatment procedures were analyzed. Overall, more than half of the patients (49·2 to 60·7%) needed to travel beyond their municipality of residence for treatment, a fact that did not change over time. Marked regional differences were observed, as patients living in the northern and midwestern regions of the country had to travel longer distances (weighted average of 296 to 870 km). Cancer care hubs and attraction poles were mostly identified in the southeast and northeast regions, with Barretos being the main hub for all types of treatment throughout time. Interpretation: Important regional disparities in the accessibility to cancer treatment in Brazil were revealed, suggesting the need to review the distribution of specialized care in the country. The data presented here contribute to ongoing research on improving access to cancer care and can provide reference to other countries, offering relevant data for oncological and healthcare service evaluation, monitoring, and strategic planning. Funding: This work was funded by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation - Fiocruz (Inova - no. 8451635123 to BPF) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - CNPq (no. 407060/2018-9 to BPF); Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - CAPES (scholarship to PCA, Finance Code 001); and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Inovação em Doenças de Populações Negligenciadas (INCT-IDPN). Resumo: A acessibilidade geográfica aos serviços de saúde é um componente fundamental para o alcance da cobertura universal de saúde, compromisso central do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Para pacientes com câncer, a baixa acessibilidade aos serviços especializados tem sido associada ao tratamento inadequado, piora no prognóstico e na qualidade de vida.Neste estudo, dados de saúde dos sistemas de informação em saúde do SUS foram utilizados para mapear a acessibilidade geográfica ao tratamento do câncer em dois períodos: 2009-2010 e 2017-2018. Aplicamos a análise de redes sociais (ARS) para estimar os fluxos de deslocamento e as distâncias percorridas por pacientes com câncer para receberem tratamento cirúrgico, radioterápico e quimioterápico.Um total de 12.751.728 procedimentos de tratamento foram analisados. Em geral, mais da metade dos pacientes (49,2 a 60,7%) precisaram se deslocar de seus municípios de residência para receber tratamento, fato que não mudou comparando os dois períodos de tempo analisados. Foram observadas importantes diferenças regionais no acesso. Pacientes residentes das regiões norte e centro-oeste do país tiveram que percorrer maiores distâncias para alcançar os serviços (média ponderada = 296 a 870 km). A maioria dos hubs e polos de atração para atendimento oncológico foram identificados nas regiões Sudeste e Nordeste, sendo o município de Barretos o principal hub para todos os tipos de tratamento ao longo do tempo.As disparidades de acessibilidade para o tratamento de câncer, alertam para a necessidade de revisar a distribuição dos serviços de atenção especializada no país. A metodologia e os resultados apresentados neste estudo contribuem para as pesquisas sobre a melhoria do acesso ao tratamento do câncer e podem servir como referência para outros países, oferecendo dados relevantes para avaliação, monitoramento e planejamento estratégico de serviços oncológicos e de saúde em geral.

Comparison of sampling designs from the two editions of the Brazilian National Health Survey, 2013 and 2019.

Our objective is to describe the differences in the sampling plans of the two editions of the Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS 2013 and 2019) and to evaluate how the changes affected the coefficient of variation (CV) and the design effect (Deff) of some estimated indicators. Variables from different parts of the questionnaire were analyzed to cover proportions with different magnitudes. The prevalence of obesity was included in the analysis since anthropometry measurement in the 2019 survey was performed in a subsample. The value of the point estimate, CV, and the Deff were calculated for each indicator, considering the stratification of the primary sampling units, the weighting of the sampling units, and the clustering effect. The CV and the Deff were lower in the 2019 estimates for most indicators. Concerning the questionnaire indicators of all household members, the Deffs were high and reached values greater than 18 for having a health insurance plan. Regarding the indicators of the individual questionnaire, for the prevalence of obesity, the Deff ranged from 2.7 to 4.2, in 2013, and from 2.7 to 10.2, in 2019. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes per Federative Unit had a higher CV and lower Deff. Expanding the sample size to meet the diverse health objectives and the high Deff are significant challenges for developing probabilistic household-based national survey. New probabilistic sampling strategies should be considered to reduce costs and clustering effects.

Estimation of COVID-19 Under-Reporting in the Brazilian States Through SARI.

Due to its impact, COVID-19 has been stressing the academy to search for curing, mitigating, or controlling it. It is believed that under-reporting is a relevant factor in determining the actual mortality rate and, if not considered, can cause significant misinformation. Therefore, this work aims to estimate the under-reporting of cases and deaths of COVID-19 in Brazilian states using data from the InfoGripe. InfoGripe targets notifications of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). The methodology is based on the combination of data analytics (event detection methods) and time series modeling (inertia and novelty concepts) over hospitalized SARI cases. The estimate of real cases of the disease, called novelty, is calculated by comparing the difference in SARI cases in 2020 (after COVID-19) with the total expected cases in recent years (2016-2019). The expected cases are derived from a seasonal exponential moving average. The results show that under-reporting rates vary significantly between states and that there are no general patterns for states in the same region in Brazil. The states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso have the highest rates of under-reporting of cases. The rate of under-reporting of deaths is high in the Rio Grande do Sul and the Minas Gerais. This work can be highlighted for the combination of data analytics and time series modeling. Our calculation of under-reporting rates based on SARI is conservative and better characterized by deaths than for cases.

Neonatal mortality rates in Brazilian municipalities: from 1996 to 2017.

OBJECTIVES: Neonatal mortality is a global public health problem, and the efforts to reduce child mortality is one of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, launched in 2015 by the United Nations. The availability of historical neonatal mortality rates (NMR) data in Brazilian municipalities is crucial to evaluate trends at local, regional and national level, identifying gaps and vulnerable territories. Therefore, the objective of this article is to offer an integrated dataset containing monthly data in a historical series from 1996 to 2017 with information on all births, neonatal deaths, and NMR (total, early and late components) enriched with information related to the municipality. DATA DESCRIPTION: It is a dataset of historical data with information on the number of births, the number of neonatal deaths, the neonatal mortality rate (including early and late), and geographic information for each month (between January 1996 and December 2017) and Brazilian municipality.

Is it time to talk about the end of social distancing? A joinpoint analysis of COVID-19 time series in Brazilian capitals.

INTRODUCTION: Monitoring coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related infections and deaths in Brazil is controversial, with increasing pressure to ease social distance measures. However, no evidence of a sustained, widespread fall in cases exists. METHODS: We used segmented (joinpoint) regression analysis to describe the behavior of COVID-19 infections in Brazilian capital cities. RESULTS: All capitals showed an exponential or a near-exponential increase in cases through May. A decline in reported cases was subsequently noted in 20 cities but was only significant for 8 (29.6%) and was followed in two by a renewed increase. CONCLUSIONS: Caution is warranted when considering the relaxation of restrictions.

Contributing to Elimination of Cross-Border Malaria Through a Standardized Solution for Case Surveillance, Data Sharing, and Data Interpretation: Development of a Cross-Border Monitoring System.

BACKGROUND: Cross-border malaria is a significant obstacle to achieving malaria control and elimination worldwide. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to build a cross-border surveillance system that can make comparable and qualified data available to all parties involved in malaria control between French Guiana and Brazil. METHODS: Data reconciliation rules based on expert knowledge were defined and applied to the heterogeneous data provided by the existing malaria surveillance systems of both countries. Visualization dashboards were designed to facilitate progressive data exploration, analysis, and interpretation. Dedicated advanced open source and robust software solutions were chosen to facilitate solution sharing and reuse. RESULTS: A database gathering the harmonized data on cross-border malaria epidemiology is updated monthly with new individual malaria cases from both countries. Online dashboards permit a progressive and user-friendly visualization of raw data and epidemiological indicators, in the form of time series, maps, and data quality indexes. The monitoring system was shown to be able to identify changes in time series that are related to control actions, as well as differentiated changes according to space and to population subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: This cross-border monitoring tool could help produce new scientific evidence on cross-border malaria dynamics, implementing cross-border cooperation for malaria control and elimination, and can be quickly adapted to other cross-border contexts.

Adherence to physical contact restriction measures and the spread of COVID-19 in Brazil. / Adesão às medidas de restrição de contato físico e disseminação da COVID-19 no Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the adherence of the population to physical contact restriction measures and the spread of COVID-19 in Brazil. METHODS: This was a web-based health survey carried out from April 24 to May 24 2020 using a chain sampling procedure. Intensity of adherence to physical contact restriction measures was analyzed according to sociodemographic characteristics, using logistic regression models to investigate associations with 'No/little adherence'. RESULTS: Of the 45,161 participants, 74.2% (73.8;74.6%) reported intense adherence to the measures. The group that did not adhere to the measures was characterized by men (31.7%), those aged 30 to 49 (36.4%), those with low education levels (33.0%), those who worked during the pandemic (81.3%), those resident in the North (28.1%) and Midwest (28.5%) regions of the country. In Brazil as a whole, there was a decrease in COVID-19 daily growth rates, from 45.4% to 5.0%. CONCLUSION: A large part of the Brazilian population adhered to physical contact restriction measures, which possibly contributed to decreasing the spread of COVID-19.

[Microdatasus: a package for downloading and preprocessing microdata from Brazilian Health Informatics Department (DATASUS)]. / Microdatasus: pacote para download e pré-processamento de microdados do Departamento de Informática do SUS (DATASUS).

This study aimed to develop an algorithm for downloading and preprocessing microdata furnished by the Brazilian Health Informatics Department (DATASUS) for various health information systems, using the R statistical programming language. The package allows downloading and preprocessing data from various health information systems, with the inclusion of labeling categorical fields in the files. The download function was capable of directly accessing and reducing the workload for the selection of microdata files and variables in DATASUS, while the preprocessing function enabled automatic coding of various categorical fields. The package thus enables a continuous workflow in the same program, in which the algorithm allows downloading and preprocessing and other packages in R allow analyzing data from the health information systems in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS).

O objetivo do estudo foi desenvolver um algoritmo capaz de realizar o download e o pré-processamento de microdados fornecidos pelo Departamento de Informática do SUS (DATASUS) para diversos sistemas de informações em saúde para a linguagem de programação estatística R. O pacote desenvolvido permite o download e o pré-processamento de dados de diversos sistemas de informação em saúde, com a inclusão da rotulagem dos campos categóricos nos arquivos. A função de download foi capaz de acessar diretamente e reduzir o volume de trabalho para a seleção de arquivos e variáveis de microdados junto ao DATASUS. Já a função de pré-processamento foi capaz de efetuar a codificação automática de diversos campos categóricos. Dessa forma, a utilização desse pacote possibilita um fluxo de trabalho contínuo no mesmo programa, no qual esse algoritmo permite o download e o pré-processamento, e outros pacotes do R permitem a análise de dados dos sistemas de informação em saúde do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS).

El objetivo del estudio fue desarrollar un algoritmo capaz de realizar la descarga y pre-procesamiento de microdatos, proporcionados por el Departamento de Informática del SUS (DATASUS), para diversos sistemas de información en salud, así como para el lenguaje de programación estadístico R. El paquete desarrollado permite la descarga y preprocesamiento de datos de diversos sistemas de información en salud, con la inclusión del rótulo de los campos categóricos en los archivos. La función de descarga se mostró capaz de acceder directamente y reducir el volumen de trabajo para la selección de archivos y variables de microdatos a través del DATASUS, mientras que la función de pre-procesamiento fue capaz de efectuar la codificación automática de diversos campos categóricos. De esta forma, la utilización de este paquete posibilita un flujo de trabajo continuo en el mismo programa, donde este algoritmo permite la descarga y preprocesamiento y otros paquetes del R permiten el análisis de datos de los sistemas de información en salud del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS).

[Analytical study of the breast cancer patient flow network in Brazil from 2014 to 2016]. / Estudo de análise de rede do fluxo de pacientes de câncer de mama no Brasil entre 2014 e 2016.

This study aims to analyze the flow of breast cancer patients treated outside of their municipality of residence, based on hospital admissions and chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) from 2014 to 2016. Network analysis was used, considering the municipality of residence and of treatment as nodes in a graph, thus consisting of a "health system organizational network study". In addition, highway distances and travel time were estimated via the best feasible route according to the Open Street Maps highway project. According to the results, 51.34% of breast cancer patients in Brazil were treated outside their municipality of residence, following regionalized flows that respect state borders, generally towards the state capital or other large cities. The results also point to specific exceptions, where some municipalities occupy outstanding positions that extrapolate state borders. Median travel time from the municipality of residence to the municipality of care was nearly 3 hours, and 75% of trips totaled 324km for chemotherapy, 287km for radiotherapy, and 282km for hospitalizations. These results are indicative of the difficulties in access to oncology services, potentially aggravating the illness experience with cancer in terms of impact on the individuals and their families.

Este estudo busca analisar o fluxo de pacientes oncológicos de mama que são atendidos fora de seu domicílio de residência. Foram considerados as internações hospitalares e os tratamentos por quimioterapia e radioterapia para neoplasias malignas na mama, no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde, entre os anos de 2014 e 2016. Foi empregado o método de análise de redes, considerando o município de residência e de tratamento como nós de um grafo, que consiste em um "estudo de redes organizacionais de sistemas de saúde". Além disso, distância e tempo de deslocamento foram estimados por meio da melhor rota viável, segundo a malha rodoviária do projeto Open Street Maps. Os resultados apontam que 51,34% dos pacientes de câncer de mama no Brasil foram atendidos fora de seu município de residência, seguindo fluxos que são regionalizados e que preservam fronteiras estaduais, em geral, em direção a capitais ou a cidades de grande porte. Por outro lado, os resultados também apontam exceções específicas, visto que alguns municípios detêm um grau de proeminência que supera os limites estaduais. O tempo de deslocamento entre município de residência e município de atendimento apresentou medianas próximas a três horas, e 75% dos deslocamentos se dão em até 324km para tratamento por quimioterapia, 287km para tratamento por radioterapia e 282km para internações. Esses resultados são indicativos das dificuldades de acesso aos serviços de oncologia, o que potencialmente agrava a experiência do adoecimento oncológico em termos de impacto no indivíduo e em sua família.

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el flujo de pacientes oncológicos con cáncer de mama que son atendidos fuera de su domicilio de residencia. Se consideraron internamientos hospitalarios, tratamientos por quimioterapia y radioterapia para neoplasias malignas de mama, dentro del ámbito del Sistema Único de Salud brasileño, entre los años de 2014 a 2016. Se empleó el método de análisis de redes, considerando como nudos de un grafo el municipio de residencia y el del tratamiento, formándose de esta forma un "estudio de redes organizativas de sistemas de salud". Asimismo, se estimaron las distancias viales y el tiempo de desplazamiento, a través de la mejor ruta de carreteras, según la red de carreteras del proyecto Open Street Maps. Los resultados apuntan que un 51,34% de los pacientes con cáncer de mama en Brasil fueron atendidos fuera de su municipio de residencia, siguiendo flujos regionalizados y dentro de sus fronteras estatales, en general, en dirección a las capitales de las mismas o grandes ciudades. Por otro lado, los resultados también muestran excepciones específicas, donde algunos municipios detentan un grado de relevancia superando las fronteras estatales. El tiempo de desplazamiento entre el municipio de residencia y el municipio de atención presentó unas medias cercanas a las 3 horas, y en un 75% de los desplazamientos se recorrieron hasta 324km para recibir tratamiento de quimioterapia, 287km para el tratamiento de radioterapia y 282km para internamientos. Estos resultados son indicativos de las dificultades de acceso a los servicios de oncología, lo que agrava potencialmente la experiencia de la enfermedad oncológica en términos de impacto en el individuo y su familia.

[Health Regions in Brazil based on hospital admissions: a method to support health regionalization]. / As Regiões de Saúde no Brasil segundo internações: método para apoio na regionalização de saúde.

This study addressed health regionalization on various spatial scales based on patient flow. The article analyzed data through data linkage on the origin and destination of admissions at the municipal level in Brazil in 2016. The analysis is based on graph theory and uses a modularity algorithm that seeks to group municipalities in communities with a large number of interlinks. The algorithm optimizes the number of hospital admissions and discharges, taking patient flow into account. The results are shown, considering different political and administrative spatial structures. Considering patient flow without spatial restrictions, 29 communities were created in the country, compared to 64 communities when the boundaries of the major geographic regions were respected, and 164 when considering only patient flows within the respective states. The results show the importance of historically constituted regions, ignoring formal administrative boundaries, in order to implement access to health services. They also reveal adherence to administrative boundaries in many states of Brazil, demonstrating this spatial scale's importance in the context of access to hospital admissions. The methodology makes relevant contributions to regional health planning.

Este estudo aborda as regionalizações da saúde em várias escalas espaciais com base no fluxo de pacientes. Para isso, foram analisados dados por meio do relacionamento das informações de origem e destino das interações realizadas em nível municipal no Brasil em 2016. A análise tem como base a teoria dos grafos e utiliza um algoritmo de modularidade que busca agrupar municípios em comunidades que detêm grande número de conexões entre si. O algoritmo otimiza o número de entradas e saídas, levando em consideração o fluxo de pacientes. Os resultados são apresentados considerando diferentes estruturas espaciais político-administrativas. Levando-se em conta o fluxo de pacientes sem restrições espaciais foram constituídas 29 comunidades no país, 64 comunidades quando respeitados os limites das grandes regiões e 164 considerando os deslocamentos apenas dentro dos estados. Os resultados demonstram a importância de regiões historicamente constituídas, desconsiderando limites administrativos, para a efetivação do acesso a serviços de saúde. Também revelam a aderência aos limites administrativos em muitas Unidades da Federação, demonstrando a importância dessa escala espacial no contexto do acesso às internações. A metodologia usada traz contribuições relevantes para o planejamento regional em saúde.

Este estudio aborda las regionalizaciones en salud dentro de varias escalas espaciales, basadas en el flujo de pacientes. Para tal fin, se analizaron datos a través de la relación existente entre la información de origen y destino, procedente de interacciones realizadas a nivel municipal en Brasil durante 2016. El análisis está basado en la teoría de los grafos y utiliza un algoritmo de modularidad que busca agrupar municipios en comunidades que cuentan con un gran número de conexiones entre sí. El algoritmo optimiza el número de entradas y salidas, teniendo en consideración el flujo de pacientes. Los resultados se presentan considerando las diferentes estructuras espaciales político-administrativas. Considerando el flujo de pacientes sin restricciones espaciales, se constituyeron 29 comunidades en el país, 64 comunidades respetando los límites de las grandes regiones, y 164 considerando desplazamientos sólo dentro de los estados. Los resultados demuestran la importancia de las regiones históricamente constituidas, desconsiderando límites administrativos, para hacer efectivo el acceso a servicios de salud. También revelan la adherencia a los límites administrativos en muchas Unidades Federales, demostrando la importancia de esta escala espacial en el contexto del acceso a los internamientos. La metodología utilizada aporta contribuciones relevantes para la planificación regional en salud.

Observatório Covid-19 Fiocruz - uma análise da evolução da pandemia de fevereiro de 2020 a abril de 2022 / Covid-19 Fiocruz Observatory - an analysis of the evolution of the pandemic from February 2020 to April 2022

Resumo A pandemia de COVID-19 teve um imenso impacto nas condições de vida e trabalho de toda a população do país, impactando de modo diferenciado e mais intenso os grupos considerados vulneráveis. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um panorama da evolução da pandemia no país segundo os boletins do Observatório Covid-19 Fiocruz, no período entre as declarações de início e de encerramento da Emergência em Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional (ESPIN), fevereiro de 2020 a abril de 2022. Foram utilizados diversos dos indicadores adotados nos 69 boletins publicados para a análise da pandemia, como casos e óbitos por SRAGs e COVID-19, grupos etários, taxas de ocupação de leitos UTI e vacinação, entre outros. A análise da evolução foi organizada entre anos e fases da pandemia, procurando destacar o que caracterizou cada momento. A declaração de encerramento da ESPIN no Brasil coincide com as discussões acerca da transição de pandemia para a endemia, sem que isso represente a eliminação do vírus, das infecções e da doença, colocando-se os desafios de avanços nos processos de vacinação no Brasil e no mundo e da convivência com cenários que poderão exigir a adoção de medidas de proteção temporárias em períodos epidêmicos e de maior risco para grupos vulneráveis.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the living and working conditions of the entire population of Brazil, having a different and more intense effect on groups considered to be vulnerable. The objective of this article is to present an overview of the evolution of the pandemic in the country according to the bulletins of the Covid-19 Fiocruz Observatory in the period between the declarations of the beginning and end of the Public Health Emergency of National Concern (ESPIN, in Portuguese), February 2020 to April 2022. Several of the indicators adopted in the 69 bulletins published for the analysis of the pandemic were used, such as cases and deaths due to SARIs and COVID-19, age groups, % of occupancy of ICU beds, and vaccination, among others. The evolution analysis was organized between years and phases of the pandemic, seeking to highlight what characterized each moment. The closing statement of ESPIN in Brazil coincides with the discussions on the transition from a pandemic to an endemic scenario, without this representing the elimination of the virus, infections, and disease, posing the challenges of advances in vaccination processes in Brazil and around the world, as well as living with scenarios that may require the adoption of temporary protection measures in epidemic periods and periods of greater risk for vulnerable groups.

A pesquisa científica na era do Big data: cinco maneiras que mostram como o Big data prejudica a ciência, e como podemos salvá-la / The scientific research in the age of Big data: five ways that show how the Big data harms the science, and how we can save it / La investigación científica en la era del Big data: cinco maneras que muestran como el Big data perjudica la ciencia, y como la salvar

O livro A pesquisa científica na era do Big data: cinco maneiras que mostram como o Big data prejudica a ciência, e como podemos salvá-la, de Sabina Leonelli, publicado pela Editora Fiocruz em 2022, explora em seus capítulos as definições do termo Big data e os seus impactos negativos na pesquisa científica. Em seguida, a autora revela uma nova abordagem epistemológica para o Big data e, por fim, apresenta um conjunto de propostas para a pesquisa científica. A revisão e atualização de definições, tanto quanto as importantes reflexões e os questionamentos por um uso consciente do Big data na pesquisa científica fazem com que a obra adicione importantes contribuições à biblioteca do pesquisador de informação e comunicação em saúde

The book titled A pesquisa científica na era do Big Data: cinco maneiras que mostram como o Big Data prejudica a ciência, e como podemos salvá-la [The scientific research in the age of Big Data: five ways that show how the Big Data harms the science, and how we can save it], by Sabina Leonelli, published in 2002, by Editora Fiocruz, explores in its chapters the definitions of Big Data and its negative impacts on scientific research. Then, the author reveals a new epistemological approach to Big data and finally she presents a set of proposals for developing a good scientific research. The literature review and updating of definitions as well as the important reflections and questions for a conscious use of Big data in scientific research make the work an important contribution to the researcher's library of the information and communication about health.

El libro denominado A pesquisa científica na era do Big data: cinco maneiras que mostram como o Big data prejudica a ciência, e como podemos salvá-la [La investigación científica en la era del Big data: cinco maneras que muestran como el Big data perjudica la ciencia, y como la salvar], de Sabina Leonelli, publicado en 2002, por la Editora Fiocruz, explora em sus capítulos las definiciones de Big data y sus impactos negativos en la investigación científica. A continuación, la autora revela un nuevo enfoque epistemológico del Big data y, al fin y al cabo, presenta un conjunto de propuestas para desarrollar una investigación científica de cualidad. La revisión de literatura y la actualización de las definiciones, así como las importantes reflexiones y discusiones para un uso consciente del Big data en la investigación científica, hacen de la obra un aporte importante a la biblioteca del investigador de la información y la comunicación acerca de la salud