%0 Journal Article
%T Information System and Geographic Information System Tools in the Data Analyses of the Control Program for Visceral Leishmaniases from 2006 to 2010 in the Sanitary District of Venda Nova, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
%A Lara Saraiva
%A Camila Gon£¿alves Leite
%A Luiz Ot¨¢vio Alves de Carvalho
%A Jos¨¦ Dilermando Andrade Filho
%A Fernanda Carvalho de Menezes
%A Vanessa de Oliveira Pires Fi¨²za
%J Journal of Tropical Medicine
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/254361
%X The aim of this paper is to report a brief history of control actions for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) from 2006 to 2010 in the Sanitary District (DS) of Venda Nova, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, focusing on the use of information systems and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The analyses showed that the use of an automated database allied with geoprocessing tools may favor control measures of VL, especially with regard to the evaluation of control actions carried out. Descriptive analyses of control measures allowed to evaluating that the information system and GIS tools promoted greater efficiency in making decisions and planning activities. These analyses also pointed to the necessity of new approaches to the control of VL in large urban centers. 1. Introduction According to the classification of World Health Organization [1], leishmaniases are neglected diseases of great epidemiological importance, which require effective control measures. They present potential to epidemic outbreaks because of their transmission by vector insects [2]. These diseases present a wide variation in their geographical areas of occurrence, with a focal distribution. Leishmaniases affect more than 100 countries worldwide, with tropical or subtropical climate occurring zoonotic and anthroponotic cycles [2¨C4]. VL, also referred as kalazar, attacks the internal organs being the most severe pathology. VL is a zoonotic disease spread worldwide and the highest concentration of cases (90%) occurs in six countries including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Brazil [5]. In the Americas, around 90% of human cases of VL are registered in Brazil, where 21 (77.8%) of its 27 federative units have reported autochthonous cases [6]. VL was originally a rural disease in Brazil, however, around 20 years ago, it has been spreading to urban areas of medium and large sizes [7]. Belo Horizonte (BH) City, the capital of Minas Gerais State, is located between the coordinates 19¡ã£¿55¡ä South and 43¡ã£¿57¡ä West, and at 858 meters above the sea level. The climate is tropical, average annual temperature is 21¡ãC, and average rainfall is 1.450£¿mm/year. There are 2.412.937 inhabitants distributed in 331£¿km2 with a population density of 7.209,08 inhabitants per km2 [8]. The city is the main pole of services, knowledge, and technology of Minas Gerais. BH city is divided into nine sanitary districts (SD) which have defined geographical area, population, and administrative staff [9]. Each SD is subdivided into coverage areas (CAs), which correspond to the territory attended by a
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jtm/2012/254361/