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Escalating Health Crisis: Dissecting Mortality Causes and Trends Among Indigenous Populations in Northeast Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2024

Paulo Ricardo Martins-Filho Open the ORCID record for Paulo Ricardo Martins-Filho [Opens in a new window] ,
Taise Ferreira Cavalcante ,
Shirley Verônica Melo Almeida Lima ,
Bianca Marques Santiago ,
Carlos Eduardo Palhares Machado  and
Eugénia Cunha
Paulo Ricardo Martins-Filho*
Affiliation:
Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil
Taise Ferreira Cavalcante
Affiliation:
Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil Epidemiological Surveillance Department, Municipal Health Secretariat, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil
Shirley Verônica Melo Almeida Lima
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Federal University of Sergipe, Lagarto, Sergipe, Brazil
Bianca Marques Santiago
Affiliation:
Center for Forensic Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Science Police of Paraiba, João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil Graduate Program in Dentistry, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa, Paraiba Brazil
Carlos Eduardo Palhares Machado
Affiliation:
National Institute of Criminalistics, Brazilian Federal Police, Distrito Federal, Brazil
Eugénia Cunha
Affiliation:
University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, Coimbra, Portugal National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Lisboa, Portugal
*
Corresponding author: Paulo Ricardo Martins-Filho; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objectives

In Northeast Brazil, the poorest region of the country, indigenous communities face critical health care challenges. Despite legal entitlements to the Unified Health System (SUS), systemic barriers persist, exacerbating health disparities and mortality. This ecological study analyzed mortality trends and causes of death within the Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI) Alagoas-Sergipe over a decade.

Methods

Data on deaths from 2012 to 2022 were obtained from the Indigenous Health Secretariat. Causes of death were classified into 13 categories. Mortality rates per 1,000 indigenous inhabitants were calculated, and trends were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test. The study also compared causes of death by age group.

Results

Mortality rates ranged from 3.3 to 5.2 per 1,000, showing a moderate upward trend over time (τ = 0.5, p = 0.042). Predominant causes included heart and vascular disorders (24.3%), external causes (12.4%), respiratory issues (11.1%), and infections (10.9%). About one-third of pediatric deaths were associated with general neonatal complications.

Conclusions

This study highlights increasing mortality in indigenous communities in Northeast Brazil. The predominant causes of death reflect broader public health concerns. These trends emphasize the urgency for more effective, culturally sensitive public health policies and improved health care access.

Type
Research Letters
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e228
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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