Elsevier

SSM - Population Health

Volume 2, December 2016, Pages 55-61
SSM - Population Health

Article
Rollout of community-based family health strategy (programa de saude de familia) is associated with large reductions in neonatal mortality in São Paulo, Brazil

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.01.001Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Brazil is currently transitioning from a health-center-based to a community-based model

  • We find large neonatal mortality reductions in areas with the community based model.

  • Community based programs may be effective even in areas with easy healthcare access.

Abstract

Rationale

Several recent studies suggest that Brazil’s Estratégia Saude de Familia (Family Health Strategy-FHS) has contributed to declines in mortality at the national and regional level. Comparatively little is known whether this approach is effective in urban populations with relatively easy access to health services.

Objectives

To use detailed medical data collected as part of São Paulo’s Western Region project to examine whether the FHS program had an impact on child health in São Paulo, Brazil.

Results

No associations were found between FHS and birth weight (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.93–1.29), gestational length (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.83–1.15) or stillbirth (OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.75–3.03). FHS eligibility was associated with a 42% reduction in the odds of child mortality (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.34, 0.91), with largest effect sizes for the early neonatal period (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04–0.79).

Conclusions

Community based health delivery platforms may be a highly effective way to reduce neonatal mortality in urban areas of low and middle income countries, even when access to general health services is almost universal.

Keywords

Infant mortality
Estratégia saude de familia
Family health strategy
Progama de saude de familia
Brazil
Community-based programs

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