Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in Brazil
Summary: Pollution, causing millions of deaths annually, disproportionally affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Mercury ranks among the three main chemicals of major public health concern, and even low levels can cause cardiovascular and nervous outcomes, with children and indigenous po...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-11-01
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| Series: | The Lancet Regional Health. Americas |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X24002072 |
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| author | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez Amanda Lopes-Araújo Paulo Cesar Basta Isabela Soares-Silva Carlos B.A. de Souza Caio Gustavo Leal-Nazaré Letícia Santos-Sacramento Jean Ludger Barthelemy Gabriela P. Arrifano Marcus Augusto-Oliveira |
| author_facet | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez Amanda Lopes-Araújo Paulo Cesar Basta Isabela Soares-Silva Carlos B.A. de Souza Caio Gustavo Leal-Nazaré Letícia Santos-Sacramento Jean Ludger Barthelemy Gabriela P. Arrifano Marcus Augusto-Oliveira |
| author_sort | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Pollution, causing millions of deaths annually, disproportionally affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Mercury ranks among the three main chemicals of major public health concern, and even low levels can cause cardiovascular and nervous outcomes, with children and indigenous populations being especially vulnerable. Nearly 80% of all emissions in South America originate from the Amazon. Brazil, the fifth-largest contributor to global mercury emissions, exemplifies the challenges faced by LMICs in effectively monitoring and addressing mercury exposure/intoxication. Despite having powerful tools such as SINAN (a digital platform for compulsory disease reporting), and Community Health Agents, data reveals significant underreporting, especially in the Amazon. Furthermore, SINAN has important delays in its update: for instance, 196 cases of Munduruku Indigenous people in 2019 have only been included in 2023. In this Personal View, we outline insightful recommendations to enhance public health surveillance and implement enduring, effective strategies to monitor, report and address mercury exposure/intoxication, focusing on the Brazilian Amazon. Although these recommendations are tailored to the challenges of this country, they hold potential for adaptation by other Amazonian countries facing similar issues (high mercury emissions and the presence of vulnerable populations, among others). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c2c5c112daec4fd9bac30fc9b3e02edc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-193X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Lancet Regional Health. Americas |
| spelling | doaj-art-c2c5c112daec4fd9bac30fc9b3e02edc2024-11-13T04:30:32ZengElsevierThe Lancet Regional Health. Americas2667-193X2024-11-0139100880Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in BrazilMaria Elena Crespo-Lopez0Amanda Lopes-Araújo1Paulo Cesar Basta2Isabela Soares-Silva3Carlos B.A. de Souza4Caio Gustavo Leal-Nazaré5Letícia Santos-Sacramento6Jean Ludger Barthelemy7Gabriela P. Arrifano8Marcus Augusto-Oliveira9Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil; Corresponding author.Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, BrazilNational School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, BrazilCenter for Behavioral Theory and Research, Federal University of Pará, Belém, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, BrazilLaboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil; Corresponding author.Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil; Corresponding author.Summary: Pollution, causing millions of deaths annually, disproportionally affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Mercury ranks among the three main chemicals of major public health concern, and even low levels can cause cardiovascular and nervous outcomes, with children and indigenous populations being especially vulnerable. Nearly 80% of all emissions in South America originate from the Amazon. Brazil, the fifth-largest contributor to global mercury emissions, exemplifies the challenges faced by LMICs in effectively monitoring and addressing mercury exposure/intoxication. Despite having powerful tools such as SINAN (a digital platform for compulsory disease reporting), and Community Health Agents, data reveals significant underreporting, especially in the Amazon. Furthermore, SINAN has important delays in its update: for instance, 196 cases of Munduruku Indigenous people in 2019 have only been included in 2023. In this Personal View, we outline insightful recommendations to enhance public health surveillance and implement enduring, effective strategies to monitor, report and address mercury exposure/intoxication, focusing on the Brazilian Amazon. Although these recommendations are tailored to the challenges of this country, they hold potential for adaptation by other Amazonian countries facing similar issues (high mercury emissions and the presence of vulnerable populations, among others).http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X24002072AmazonMercuryEnvironmental healthContaminationPublic healthSurveillance |
| spellingShingle | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez Amanda Lopes-Araújo Paulo Cesar Basta Isabela Soares-Silva Carlos B.A. de Souza Caio Gustavo Leal-Nazaré Letícia Santos-Sacramento Jean Ludger Barthelemy Gabriela P. Arrifano Marcus Augusto-Oliveira Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in Brazil The Lancet Regional Health. Americas Amazon Mercury Environmental health Contamination Public health Surveillance |
| title | Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in Brazil |
| title_full | Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in Brazil |
| title_short | Environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance: the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in Brazil |
| title_sort | environmental pollution challenges public health surveillance the case of mercury exposure and intoxication in brazil |
| topic | Amazon Mercury Environmental health Contamination Public health Surveillance |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X24002072 |
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