Evaluation of the organization of health services as a strategy for the prevention and control of visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

to evaluate the organization of health services as a strategy for the prevention and control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Ribeirão das Neves, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 2010 to 2012.

METHODS:

this was a case study evaluation of the degree of implementation of a strategy for the integration of health care services, control of zoonosis and epidemiological surveillance; it consisted of observing the work process, interviewing health professionals and analysing secondary data from information systems.

RESULTS:

implementation was partially adequate (84%); in terms of structure, the human resources component had the worst evaluation (64%) whilst in terms of work process, evaluation was 80% for reorganization of care and 77% for surveillance; in the period 2010-2012 there was a 20% increase in reported cases of VL and a 20% reduction in the time interval between reporting a case and starting treatment.

CONCLUSION:

the strategy contributed to the improvement of the organization of VL prevention and control actions.

Key words:
Leishmaniasis, Visceral/prevention & control; Health Services; Health Evaluation