MORTALITY FROM PNEUMONIA: A JOURNEY OF UPS AND DOWNS IN BRAZIL (2018-2022)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, observation of the epidemiology of pneumonia mortality has been considered important to better understand the severity of the problem, identify spatial and temporal trends and guide targeted interventions for prevention and treatment. OBJECTIVE: To examine pneumonia mortality patterns over a period of years, from 2018 to 2022, in order to seek information on the burden of the disease, regional variation and associated factors. METHODS: The present epidemiological study is characterized as ecological and descriptive, whose objective is centered on the quantitative description of the pneumonia mortality situation in Brazil in the years 2018 to 2022. The study in question includes data from “Vital Statistics” in the item “Mortality – since 1996 by ICD-10”, specifically the records of the “General Mortality” section, covering Brazil by Region and Federation Unit, contained in the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The current study evaluated the mortality rate from pneumonia in populations living in different regions of Brazil from 2018 to 2022. In general, it was observed that the rates showed an increasing behavior in the years 2019 and 2022, and decreasing in the years 2020 and 2021. The North region had the lowest rates, while the Southeast region had the highest. Given the data, it is important to highlight that demographic and socioeconomic divergences between regions, as well as the national context during the period observed, are relevant elements for the study. CONCLUSION: Based on the aforementioned panorama, it is observed that the year with the lowest number of reported deaths corresponded to 2021 and the year with the highest number was 2022, except in the Southeast region. Thus, these data highlight the complexity of the dynamics of pneumonia mortality in different regions of the country and highlight the importance of adaptable and effective public health strategies to face this challenge.