Epidemiologic stratification of the emergent and re-emergent diseases risk per municipalities. Matanzas, 2002-2006

Abstract

The emergent and re-emergent diseases are a health problem worrying the governments and the public health authorities because of the economic and social effects they can have. We carried out an observational descriptive study in the population of the province of Matanzas, geographically distributed in municipalities, to stratify the risk of the emergent and re-emergent diseases in the period 2002-2006. We selected the diseases and the indicators to study for a group of experts: for the tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS were choose the indicators prevalence rate and lethality; for the dengue and malaria, the imported cases and the infestation index; for the chicken influenza and the Western Nile fever, the population of the migratory birds, the arrival of passengers from endemic areas, and for the last one the infestation index. The data were obtained from the forms of the diseases of obligatory declaration and from the decease certificates in the Provincial Health Direction and the Provincial Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, and also from the system of vectorial surveillance of the Provincial Unit of Vectors. The data about the migratory birds were gathered in the Provincial Directions of Veterinary Medicine and of Sciences, Technology and Environment. The municipalities of Jagüey Grande, Matanzas and Varadero were the ones with the highest risks. This is a working tool for the persons in charge in the different levels of the system giving elements on a scientific basement to re-orientate the surveillance of these diseases, organize the health care services and the intervention on time.