According to the government of Mato Grosso do Sul, from January to the beginning of April, the number of confirmed cases of the disease in the state reached 1,764, including 37 pregnant women; another 1,893 cases are under analysis
O new minister of Indigenous PeoplesEloy Terena, classified as The scenario in Dourados (MS), a municipality that is in an emergency situation due to cases of chikungunya, is critical.
“When it comes to health, human lives, the responsibility is global. We are not here to say that the responsibility belonged to the municipality, the state government or the federal government. We are here to recognize this critical situation. Therefore, we do not have a denialist position and we will face it”, said Terena, when visiting the municipality this Friday (3).
According to the government of Mato Grosso do Sul, from January to the beginning of Aprilthe number of confirmed cases of the disease in the state reached 1,764, including 37 pregnant women. There were also 1,893 cases under analysis.
Com 759 records, in absolute numbers, Dourados has the largest number of probable cases of chikungunya in the state. Although the situation affects the entire population, it has had the greatest impact on indigenous communities.
Of the seven deaths recorded throughout the state, five occurred in the Dourados Indigenous Reserve. Among these, two were less than four months old. The other two deaths in the state were registered in the cities of Bonito and Jardim.
Fighting the vector
On March 30, the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development recognized the emergency situation in the city, which the city hall decreed days earlier, on March 27.
The spread of chikungunya in Dourados motivated the federal government to announce, this week, another series of measures to combat the mosquito. Aedes aegyptiinterrupt the disease transmission cycle and improve patient care. The situation is more serious in the local indigenous reserve, where five people have already died, including two babies.
The Strategic Information Center for Health Surveillance of the state’s Special Indigenous Health District (DSEI-MS) issued an epidemiological alert pointing to the increase in cases in the city.
After this, agents from the National Force of the SUS (Unified Health System) were transferred to join the task force made up of employees from the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (Sesai) and the Secretariat of Health and Environmental Surveillance, of the Ministry of Health.
In addition to mobilizing professionals, last Thursday (2), the federal government allocated around R$3.1 million in public resources for Dourados.
Of the total, R$1.3 million will be allocated to relief and humanitarian assistance actions, as direct support to the population. An additional R$974.1 thousand will pay for initiatives such as urban cleaning, waste removal and disposal in a licensed landfill. The remaining R$855,300 will finance other chikungunya surveillance, assistance and control actions in the city.
Hiring
Eloy Terena stated that the resources released by the Ministries of Integration and Regional Development and Health “are already in the accounts of state and municipal governments”, responsible for using them to contract, on an emergency basis, the necessary goods and services.
Representative of the Ministry of Health in the delegation that accompanied the minister, Daniel Ramos highlighted that, in addition to other measures, the ministry will provisionally hire and train 50 endemic disease control agents, 20 of whom will begin working this Saturday (4).
Together with 40 soldiers made available by the Ministry of Defense, the agents will join in serving the population and combating mosquito breeding sites. Aedes aegypti
“Assistance is one of the important parts and we will take strong vector control actions to reduce this pressure on services [de saúde]”, guaranteed Ramos.
The representative of the SUS National Force, Juliana Lima, explained that, although the health teams are working daily in the Bororó and Jaguapiru villages, in the Dourados Indigenous Reserve, it is difficult to say whether there has been an improvement in the situation in recent weeks.
“The scenario is very dynamic. It has been showing itself, day after day, to have a different epidemiological profile. So, we are still unable to say whether there is a decrease or an increase [do número de casos] in this or that village. But we monitor, record, daily and, with this, we are able to signal to surveillance where they should prioritize care for acute cases.”
Trash
Highlighting the “sui generis” condition [diferenciada] of the Dourados Indigenous Reserve, “which was encompassed by the municipality of Dourados”, and is, today, surrounded by the growing urban area, Terena demanded, from the city hall, more attention to garbage collection in indigenous villages, in order to eliminate breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
“We have to improve the issue of solid waste and garbage. It is necessary to equally serve not only the urban context, but also indigenous communities”, said the minister, who intends to meet with representatives of the municipal and state governments and discuss structural projects “so that we can reach these indigenous communities with projects aimed at improving garbage collection” in indigenous communities.
*Brazil Agency
