Health in Brazil - Infant Mortality

Infant Mortality

Child health is a central issue on the public policy agenda of developing countries. Several policies geared to improving child health have been implemented over the years, with varying degrees of success. In Brazil, such policies have led to a significant decline in infant mortality rates over the last 30 years. Despite this improvement, however, mortality rates are still high by international standards and there is substantial variation across Brazilian municipalities, which suggests that differentiated policies should be devised. For example, mortality among indigenous infants in 2000 was more than triple that of the general population, highlighting the importance of tailored health policies to address disparities in health outcomes for Brazil's Indigenous Peoples. Sanitation, education and per capita income are the most important explanatory factors of poor child health in Brazil. Moreover, ethnographic findings of infant mortality rates (IMR) in northeast Brazil are not accurate because the government tends to overlook infant morality rates in rural areas. These issues tend to be inaccurate due to a huge amount of underreporting and causes us to question the cultural validity and the contextual soundness of these mortality statistics. There is a solution to this issue however and scientists stress that quality local-level cultural data can serve to craft as the alternative and appropriate method to measure infant death in Brazil accurately. In order to not overlook infant mortality rates it is also stressed that there needs to be a focus on an ethnography of experience, a vision that cuts to the core of human suffering as it flows from daily life and experiences. For example, one must get down to the flesh, blood and souls of infant death in the impoverished households of Brazilians in order to understand and live with those who have to suffer its tragic consequences. Methods of gathering mortality data also need to be respectful of local death customs and must be implemented in places where death is experienced through a different cultural lens.

UNICEF report shows a rising rate of survival for Brazilian children under the age of five. UNICEF says that out of a total of 195 countries analyzed, Brazil is among the 25 nations with the best improvement in survival rates for children under the age of 5. The report shows that Brazil's infant mortality rate for live births in 2008 was 22 per thousand, a drop of 61% since 1990. Mortality rates for children at one year of age was 18 per thousand, a reduction of 60%. The study went on to show that malnutrition among children of less than two years of age during the period between 2000 and 2008 fell by 77%. There was also a substantial drop in the number of school age children who were not in school, falling from 920,000 to 570,000 during the same period. Cristina Albuquerque, coordinator of the UNICEF Infant Survival and Development Program called the numbers "an enormous victory" for Brazil. She added that with regard to public policy aimed at reducing social disparities, Brazil's Bolsa Família program had become an international benchmark in combating poverty, reducing vulnerability and improving quality of life. "Brazil is going through a great moment, but much remains to be done. So, along with the celebrating it is a good time to reflect on the many challenges still to be overcome," Albuquerque declared.

HCor is currently ranked as one of the main reference centers in Latin America. Located in the city of São Paulo, the hospital was established in 1985 in order to treat children who are suffering from cardiac illnesses. Over the years it diversified its scope of services and currently ir offers treatment in 37 medical specialties, including: orthopedics, neurology, traumatology, urology, oncology, gastroenterology, image diagnostics, sports medicine, general surgery, and nutriology. In order to accomplish its social mission as philanthropic hospital, HCor offers the most advanced technology in cardiologic procedures to needy children. Thus, all the resources of the institution are redirected to research, acquisition of last generation equipment, and especially to tend little needy cardiopathy patients, many times newborns, who arrive from different parts of the country.

Directed by Prof. Dr. Adib Jatene, the Hospital do Coração has more than 700 highly trained physicians who are specialized in their respective areas of performance. Together with the technical quality of its professionals, the HCor has the most advanced technology within the health care area in Latin America, with a highlight for the Diagnosis Center – which performs more than 1.2 million exams annually.