Analysis of basic sanitation services and the incidence of Chikungunya cases in Bairro da Matinha in Santarém (PA)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the quality of basic sanitation services and their relationship with the cases of Chikungunya in Bairro da Matinha, located in the municipality of Santarém (PA). For this, primary and secondary data were used, resulting from the application of 183 questionnaires to the population residing in the neighborhood, conducting on-site visits and access to the municipal health agencies database related to the incidence of Chikungunya. In Matinha Neighborhood, 25 cases of Chikungunya were reported, 18 confirmed, being the neighborhood with the highest incidence of the disease in Santarém. In the streets identified with the highest number of infected, the precariousness of the roads was found, with the presence of domestic sewage and household solid waste. There was also the existence of wastelands that are used as inadequate waste deposits that serve as breeding grounds for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The results showed that most residents have incomplete elementary school; 32% of respondents stated the existence of vacant land; and 95% think these lands contribute to the spread of disease; 42% of respondents did not know how to define basic sanitation, which can compromise the prevention and control of endemic diseases. Given the above, it is concluded that the inadequate conditions of basic sanitation infrastructure contribute to the high rate of cases of Chikungunya fever in the neighborhood, which highlights the need for greater action by the government and the awareness/local population.