Boletín de la Oficina Sanitaria Panamericana. Pan American Sanitary Bureau
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Bol Oficina Sanit Panam · May 1996
Review[Non-communicable chronic diseases in Brazil: from risk factors to social impact].
The current epidemiologic profile of Brazil includes both the diseases of underdevelopment and those associated with modern life. Consequently, the country faces the difficult task of carrying out health promotion and protection activities aimed at controlling communicable diseases as well as noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs). This study sought to describe the epidemiologic situation of Brazilian adults with regard to NCDs and to present available data on the quality of care provided for these diseases and their social impact. ⋯ Premature mortality, as measured by productive years of life lost, reflects the poor quality of medical care and the absence of targeted control programs. These data, combined with other sources of information, such as consents for treatment and pensions paid for illness, give some idea of the impact of NCDs on the society. The authors point to the basic research that could be done in all the country's regions to serve as a basis for planning and implementing populational strategies to reduce risk factors and to treat and control chronic noncommunicable diseases in Brazil.