Abstract

CESA, Kátia; ABEGG, Claídes  and  AERTS, Denise. Water fluoridation surveillance in brazilian capitals. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2011, vol.20, n.4, pp.547-555. ISSN 1679-4974.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742011000400014.

OBJECTIVE: to study the fluoride surveillance in public water supplies in Brazilian capitals, in 2005. METHODOLOGY: data was collected through a questionnaire completed by the local coordinations of the Surveillance Program on Environmental Health related with Quality of Water for Human Consumption (Vigiagua) in Municipal Health Secretariats, and from database of the Surveillance Information System of Quality of Water for Human Consumption (Sisagua), of the Brazilian Ministry of Health; 1,911 fluoride records were evaluated. RESULTS: in 2005, 17 Brazilian capitals (62.9%) fluoridated their public water supply; of those, only five (29.4%) carried out the steps of collection, analysis, andpublishing of fluoride parameter; the highest rate of appropriateness of fluoride levels was found in Porto Alegre-RS (80.0%), and the lowest in Aracaju-SE (28.5%). CONCLUSION: water fluoridation is the main public policy for prevention of caries in Brazil; even though, in most Brazilian capitals, levels of fluoride in water supplies were not monitored by Vigiagua in 2005; this shows the need of a greater intersectoral commitment to improve water fluoridation in the country.

Keywords : water fluoride; water quality; surveillance; environmental health.

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