title: Accessibility to and utilisation of schistosomiasis-related health services in a rural area of state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
abstract: The objective of the present paper was to compare accessibility and utilisation of schistosomiasis diagnostic and treatment services in a small village and the surrounding rural area in northern part of the state of Minas Gerais Brazil. The study included 1,228 individuals: 935 central village residents and 293 rural residents of São Pedro do Jequitinhonha. Schistosoma mansoni infection rates were significantly higher in the central village than in the rural area during a survey in 2007 (44.3% and 23.5%, respectively) and during the 2002 schistosomiasis case-finding campaign (33.1% and 26.5%, respectively) (p < 0.001). However, during the 2002-2006 period, only 23.7% of the villagers and 27% of the rural residents obtained tests on their own from health centres, hospitals and private clinics in various nearby towns. In 2007, 63% of the villagers and 70.5% of the rural residents reported never having received treatment for schistosomiasis. This paper reveals considerable variation in the accessibility and utilisation of schistosomiasis-related health services between the central village and the rural area. A combination of low utilisation rates between 2002-2006 and persistently high S. mansoni infection rates suggest that the schistosomiasis control program must be more rapidly incorporated into the primary health services.
authors: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors: Dener Carlos dos
authors: DC
authors: Reis
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Kloos
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: King
authors: Humberto Ferreira Oliveira
authors: HF
authors: Quites
authors: Leonardo Ferreira
authors: LF
authors: Matoso
authors: Kellen Rosa
authors: KR
authors: Coelho
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Gazzinelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012556:Schistosomicides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012556:Schistosomicides