Abstract

ANDRADE, Vera et al. Uma nova perspectiva para acelerar a eliminação da hanseníase no Brasil: A integração na atenção básica. Bol. Pneumol. Sanit. [online]. 2000, vol.8, n.2, pp.51-59. ISSN 0103-460X.

Exclusion of part of the population to diagnosis and treatment of leprosy at its earliest stage has been detected as a main problem to the elimination of leprosy in Brazil. It is Additional problems are the perception of the diagnosis and treatment as a complex and difficult task, the centralization of the knowledge, the negative approach of communities towards leprosy and a not reliable information system. Once identified these faults, CONASEMS arrived to the conclusion that it would be very important to improve accessibility and to attain this goal it was decided to constitute a task force (GT/HANSEN/CONASEMS) with the mission to identity the focal points in the municipal level, to involve the local leaders inducing them to take over the responsibility to eliminate leprosy in their communities. Main actions are decentralization of diagnosis and treatment, improving accessibility of populations to quality care, increase awareness in the community through information material and to improve information system. The political will of municipal leaders is the key stone in this process. GT/HANSEN/CONASEMS has selected some municipalities in endemic areas of Brazil to work with, including Palmas, Sobral, Santarem and Terezina. Initial results has shown a significative increase of accessibility, in many instance more than five folds the previous situation before the actions of the GT/HANSEN/CONASEMS. It is also concluded that social mobilization is important to the success of the proposal, that the decentralization of care make users less resistant to quality care actions and that the proposal of the GT/HANSEN/CONASEMS can be an important alternative to accelerate the global proposal of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem in endemic countries once it brings quality care to the most peripheral level of the basic health system, integrating leprosy diagnoses and treatment into other basic health activities

Keywords : hansen disease; basic atention; descentralization.

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